workforce
B2Formal to neutral. Common in business, economic, governmental, and HR contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The total number of people employed or available for work by a particular employer, industry, or country.
The collective body of workers who contribute to the functioning and productivity of an organization or economy; often analyzed in terms of skills, demographics, and availability.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable singular noun (the workforce), but can be used as a non-count noun in abstract discussions of labor. Focuses on the group as a productive resource.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Manpower' is a dated synonym more common in historical/military contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral in both, though implies a more formal, statistical, or managerial perspective than 'staff' or 'workers'.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American business/economics journalism.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Employer] has a workforce of [number][Adjective] workforceto train/build/expand/reduce the workforceVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Workforce of the future”
- “To enter the workforce”
- “To shrink/grow the workforce”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The company is investing in AI to augment its existing workforce.
Academic
Demographic shifts are fundamentally altering the composition of the national workforce.
Everyday
The new factory will provide jobs for about five percent of the town's workforce.
Technical
The model predicts a 15% skills gap in the manufacturing workforce within five years.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The hospital has a large workforce.
- A well-trained workforce is important for any company.
- Technological change requires constant adaptation from the modern workforce.
- Policymakers are concerned about the shrinking agricultural workforce and its implications for food security.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a FORCE that does the WORK = WORKFORCE.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE WORKFORCE IS A RESOURCE / AN ASSET / A LIVING ORGANISM (that can be trained, grown, healthy, skilled).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not "рабочая сила" (rabochaya sila) in all contexts. That Russian phrase is broader, often equating to 'labour' as an economic factor. 'Workforce' is more specific to actual employed people. Closer to "трудовые ресурсы" (trudovye resursy) or "персонал" (personal).
Common Mistakes
- Using as a plural countable (e.g., 'our workforces' – rare; prefer 'segments of our workforce'). Confusing with 'workload'. Incorrectly using 'workforce' to refer to a single worker.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'workforce' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is treated as a singular collective noun (e.g., The workforce is highly skilled). However, it can take a plural verb in British English when referring to the individual workers (e.g., The workforce are unhappy with the changes).
'Workforce' is broader and more impersonal, often used for large groups, industries, or nations. 'Staff' is more common for the group of people working for a specific organization or in a specific place (e.g., hotel staff, office staff).
No, 'workforce' is solely a noun. The related verb form does not exist.
Typically, yes. It refers to all people working for an employer, though in some contexts it might be contrasted with 'management'. The specific inclusion depends on the context.
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