workforce

See also: work force

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

    From work + force.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    workforce (plural workforces)

    1. All the workers employed by a specific organization or state, or on a specific project.
      • 2020 December 2, Stefanie Foster, “Network News: Success of major projects hinges on fixing skills crisis”, in Rail, page 8:
        The rail sector's ageing workforce (28% of workers are over 50 years old) means that about 15,000 people could retire from the industry by 2025.
      • 2025 February 1, Tami Luhby, Eric Bradner and Rene Marsh, “Federal employees confused, angered by Trump’s offer to quit”, in CNN‎[1], Atlanta, Ga.: Warner Bros. Discovery, archived from the original on 5 March 2026:
        But much of the federal workforce is located outside the nation’s capital, and Trump’s offer was met with confusion and skepticism in many of those offices.
    2. The total population of a country or region that is employed or employable.
      • 2025 July 25, Matt Egan, “How Trump’s mass deportations could backfire on the American economy by shrinking paychecks”, in CNN‎[2], Atlanta, Ga.: Warner Bros. Discovery, archived from the original on 2 April 2026:
        “There is no question the US economy will get smaller as you deport a lot of the workforce,” Kent Smetters, professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, said in an interview.

    Synonyms

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    Translations

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