workforce
WERK-fors
/ˈwɜːrkfɔːrs/
The total number of people employed or available for work in a country, industry, or company.
Refers to human capital collectively, often analyzed as a macroeconomic statistic or corporate resource.
The story behind the word. The term originated during the Industrial Revolution when labor shifted from solitary agricultural labor to collective factory production, combining the Germanic root for human labor with the Latin-derived French word for power.
Word relationships
- labor force: Labor force is a precise economic term strictly including both employed and actively searching unemployed individuals.
- manpower: Manpower is slightly dated and emphasizes physical sheer numbers rather than skill profiles.
- non-working population: Refers to individuals who are retired, children, or otherwise permanently out of the labor pool.
Commonly confused with
- workload: Workforce is the group of workers; workload is the amount of work assigned to be done.
Collocations
- aging workforce
- skilled workforce
- workforce diversity
- workforce participation
Example sentences
- "Rapid demographic shifts have significantly reduced the country's overall active workforce over the last decade." Macroeconomics
- "The tech firm announced plans to train its workforce in artificial intelligence tools to maintain competitiveness." Corporate Strategy
Memory hook
Think of the total FORCE of people at WORK driving an economy forward. Work + Force = the collective power of workers.
When not to use
Do not use to refer to a single employee or an informal group of friends helping with a task.
Fun facts
- In international economics, the term 'civilian workforce' specifically excludes active military personnel.
Related words
Explore more words
capital, proletariat, electorate, occupation, output, workload
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