workforce

noun work·force \ ˈwərk-ˌfȯrs \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of workforce

1 : the workers engaged in a specific activity or enterprise

the factory's workforce

2 : the number of workers potentially assignable for any purpose

the nation's workforce

See workforce defined for English-language learners

See workforce defined for kids

Examples of workforce in a Sentence

We have a workforce of 2,400 people.
the office's entire workforce is devoted to a single project right now

Recent Examples of workforce from the Web

Meanwhile, as education has become more essential in the workforce, parents are increasingly eager to give their kids a leg up with lessons in everything from coding to cello.

— lindsay whitehurst, The Christian Science Monitor, "Utah's 'free-range' parenting law sparks interest across the country," 10 Apr. 2018
The announcement of the agency's grant allocation to Xavier comes as the university continues to find ways to address the workforce development needs of the New Orleans community. . . . . . .

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Xavier receives $35,000 federal grant to develop new humanities minor," 9 Apr. 2018
Randolph is joining through a partnership between the district, the mayor's office of workforce development, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation and several private funders.

— lori higgins, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit school becomes first to join Project Green Light crime reduction effort," 3 Apr. 2018
Some 34 percent of the roughly $114 billion the federal government spends annually on workforce development and education goes to higher education, with much of it flowing to two-year colleges.

— alia wong, The Atlantic, "Donald Trump Doesn't Understand Community Colleges," 30 Mar. 2018
Patrick Graham, 47, is president and CEO of Charlotte Works, a nonprofit focused on workforce development, including getting people ready for careers and connecting businesses with skilled employees.

— jane wester, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte nonprofit CEO choked woman, busted her lip, arrest warrant says | Charlotte Observer," 26 Mar. 2018
The National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence, which already has more than 40 industry and government collaborators, will develop new standards for the industry and conduct research into technology and workforce development.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Auburn University establishing two additive manufacturing centers," 20 Mar. 2018
Women in the workforce already have to deal with the ugly realities of the gender pay gap, and failing to negotiate a higher salary at the onset can become a barrier years down the line.

— julie ma, The Cut, "25 Famous Women on Asking for a Raise," 15 Mar. 2018
Dealing with issues such as workforce development, better access to education and planned growth for communities have been goals throughout my career.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo Planning Board has one contested race," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'workforce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.