B2noun2K

Workforce

UK /["/ˈwɜːkfɔːs/"]/US /["/ˈwɜːrkfɔːrs/"]/

Definition

all the people who work for a particular company, organization, etc.

In simple words: The group of people who work for a company or in a place.

Examples

  • The company's workforce has grown significantly over the past year.
  • Technology has transformed the workforce by automating many routine tasks.
  • An aging workforce poses challenges for industries relying on manual labor.
  • The government introduced policies to support the skilled workforce in the region.
  • During the economic downturn, many small businesses had to reduce their workforce.
  • Efforts to diversify the workforce helped the company improve creativity and innovation.

Usage notes

Use 'workforce' to refer to employees in various contexts, like business or industry discussions. Avoid using it in casual conversations about non-work topics.

Grammar pattern

workforce + is/are + complement

Memory hint

Think of a 'force' of workers — they are powerful together.

Collocations

  • educated
  • qualified
  • skilled
  • employ
  • have
  • cut
  • fall
  • double
  • increase
  • among a/​the workforce
  • in a/​the workforce
  • a member of the workforce
  • educated
  • qualified
  • skilled
  • employ
  • have
  • cut
  • fall
  • double
  • increase
  • among a/​the workforce
  • in a/​the workforce
  • a member of the workforce

Synonyms

  • staff

Antonyms

  • unemployment
  • idleness

Common mistakes

  • Confusing 'workforce' with 'staff' — 'staff' often implies a smaller or specific group.
  • Using 'workforce' in singular form when it should be plural.
  • Mixing up 'workforce' with 'workforce development', which is a more specific term.