workforce

workforce — noun

1. Every person who works for a business, in an industry, or across a country — as

1.nounB1
Definition

Every person who works for a business, in an industry, or across a country — as well as those who are able to work.

Example

The warehouse hired Mert and ten other people to expand its workforce.

collocation: expand / reduce the workforce

Hiro's factory reduced its workforce by fifty workers when export orders fell.

collocation: reduce the workforce by [number]

Common collocations
  • skilled workforce
  • educated workforce
  • ageing workforce
  • young workforce
  • diverse workforce
  • entire workforce
  • expand the workforce
  • reduce the workforce
  • join the workforce
  • enter the workforce
  • leave the workforce
  • workforce development
  • workforce planning
  • workforce training
Synonyms
  • labour force

    More formal, used especially in economics and government statistics; workforce is slightly more common in everyday business contexts.

  • staff

    Refers only to people employed by a single organisation, not an entire industry or nation.

  • personnel

    More formal, often used in military or HR contexts; can imply a narrower group of employees.

  • employees

    Focuses on individuals in a paid role; workforce emphasises the collective group.

Grammar Patterns

workforce + singular verb (especially US); workforce + singular/plural verb (UK)

Usage Note

Workforce refers to ALL people who work or are available for work — not just a department or team. Frequently used in discussions about the economy, business strategy, and labour policy. In American English, workforce is treated as singular (the workforce is…); in British English, both singular and plural verb forms are common (the workforce is… / the workforce are…).

Common Mistakes

The company's workforces are spread across three cities.
The company's workforce is spread across three cities.
Workforce is a collective noun, usually singular. Use 'workforces' only when comparing separate groups in different companies or countries.
The workforce of the factory are 300 people.
The workforce of the factory is 300 people.
Although 'workforce' refers to many individuals, it takes a singular verb in standard English, especially when talking about size or numbers.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Workforce is the broadest term, covering everyone who works or is available to work in a company, industry, or country — including job seekers. Labour force is nearly identical but appears more in official statistics and economic reports. Staff refers strictly to the people employed by one particular organisation, not a whole sector or nation. Personnel overlaps with staff but carries a more formal, administrative tone (e.g. military personnel, HR manages personnel). Employees focuses on the individual level — each person employed under a contract. Manpower is a slightly older term that emphasises the raw number of workers available, often for physical or industrial work. Example: 'The company's workforce of 500 includes office staff and factory workers.' 'Government reports track the national labour force every quarter.'

labour forcestaff ↗personnel ↗employeesmanpower

Common collocations

Nouns

  • workforce development
  • workforce planning
  • workforce training
  • workforce participation

Phrases

  • size of the workforce
  • skilled workforce
  • ageing workforce
  • entire workforce

Prepositions

  • workforce in [sector/country]
  • members of the workforce

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

Workforce is a compound of 'work' (from Old English weorc, meaning 'action, something done') and 'force' (from Old French force, from Latin fortis, meaning 'strong'). The word emerged in the mid-19th century during the Industrial Revolution, when factory owners and economists needed a collective term for all the workers available to operate machinery and run industries. It gradually expanded from describing just factory labourers to covering all employed and employable people in any field or nation.