ENGLISH
REFERENCE

a job for life

idiom.
B1 Intermediate Oxford

idiom. a position or career that you can keep until you decide to retire.

idiom. a permanent employment arrangement characterized by high job security and the expectation of lifelong tenure.


SIMPLE

My grandfather had a job for life at the local factory.

CONTEXTUAL

In the modern economy, very few people expect to find a job for life when they graduate.

COMPLEX

The transition from a manufacturing economy to a gig economy has effectively ended the era of the job for life for most workers.

Usage

usually used as a singular noun phrase to describe a type of employment or a career path.

Teaching tip

use this to discuss changes in the labor market; it often carries a nostalgic tone as it is increasingly rare in the 21st century.

Pitfall

He has a job for the life.He has a job for life.the phrase is a fixed idiom and does not use the definite article 'the' before 'life'.

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