workforce

noun

work·​force ˈwərk-ˌfȯrs How to pronounce workforce (audio)
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

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nissan unveiled sweeping new cost cuts on Tuesday, saying the measure would reduce global workforce by 15% and lead to the closure of seven vehicle plants. Daniel Leussink, USA Today, 16 May 2025 About 2,000 full-time staff have left the agency since President Donald Trump took office in January, a loss of roughly one-third of the agency’s full-time workforce. Gabriela Aoun Angueira, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025 Crucially, these data precede Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's drastic cut to the federal workforce, a move that experts say is bound to affect Washington and the city's housing market. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 The agency laid off several hundred probationary staff earlier this year, amid a wider effort by the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce. Joe Walsh, CBS News, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for workforce

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of workforce was in 1931

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Cite this Entry

“Workforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workforce. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

workforce

noun
work·​force ˈwərk-ˌfō(ə)rs How to pronounce workforce (audio)
-ˌfȯ(ə)rs
: the workers of a specific activity or business
the factory's workforce

More from Merriam-Webster on workforce

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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