English Reference
noun

workforce

n.
US /ˈwɝkˌfɔɹs/ UK /wˈɜːkfɔːs/ work·force

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    all the people who work for a particular company or organization.

    the total number of people employed by a specific firm, institution, or project.

    Simple

    The company plans to reduce its workforce by ten percent next year.

    In context

    The manufacturing plant maintains a highly skilled workforce of over five hundred technicians and engineers.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    all the people in a country or area who are able to work.

    the total population of a country or region that is currently employed or seeking employment.

    Simple

    A large part of the country's workforce is now employed in the technology sector.

    In context

    Economists are concerned that an aging population will lead to a significant shrinking of the national workforce over the next decade.

    Usage

    Often used with the definite article 'the'.

    labor forcemanpower

Bumble Inc, the Texas-based parent company which also owns Badoo, laid off nearly a third of its global workforce last year.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

Prof Yasushi Ogasawara, an expert on Japan's social system and technology at Meiji University, says there aren't enough tech-savvy people in the workforce.

BBC News· 12 Aug 2026

From work + force.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated