staff numbers

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "staff numbers" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the quantity or count of employees within an organization or team. Example: "The company has increased its staff numbers to meet the growing demand for its services."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Staff numbers are down.

The New York Times

Teaching & administrative staff numbers about 450.

The New Yorker

The total staff numbers about fifty.

The New Yorker

The entire administrative staff numbers 82.

The New York Times - Arts

Do you plan to expand/cut academic staff numbers?

The Guardian

Staff numbers will have to be cut again.

The Guardian

Others are also hopeful that staff numbers will increase.

The Guardian

HMIE also asked about funding, waiting lists and staff numbers.

The Guardian

They cut staff numbers by more than a third.

The Guardian - Opinion

Staff numbers rise and fall partly by demand.

The Guardian - Opinion

Staff numbers fell sharply, despite the extra output.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing workforce planning or organizational changes, clearly state whether "staff numbers" are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable to provide context for the changes being described.

Common error

Avoid using "staff numbers" when you actually want to discuss the skills, qualifications, or performance of your employees. Focus on "staff quality", "employee performance", or "workforce skills" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "staff numbers" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It denotes the quantity or count of employees within an organization. Ludwig shows its common usage across varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

24%

Formal & Business

29%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "staff numbers" is a common and grammatically correct way to refer to the quantity of employees in an organization. As Ludwig confirms, it's frequently used in news, scientific, and business contexts. When using the phrase, ensure you are clearly communicating the size of the workforce rather than their quality. Be aware of similar phrases like "employee headcount" or "workforce size", which may be suitable alternatives depending on the context. When writing, specify whether the "staff numbers" are rising, falling, or remaining steady to provide your audience with crucial information. Using this phrase accurately and contextually is essential for effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

number of employees

A more explicit phrasing that uses "number of employees" instead of the compound noun phrase.

workforce size

Replaces "staff" with "workforce" and "numbers" with "size", offering a more general term for the total employees.

employee headcount

Uses "employee" instead of "staff" and "headcount" to quantify the number of individuals, which is a common business term.

personnel strength

Replaces "staff" with "personnel" and "numbers" with "strength", focusing on the capacity of the workforce.

staffing levels

Emphasizes the adequacy of the current staff, referring to if it is sufficient.

manpower resources

Replaces "staff" with "manpower" and "numbers" with "resources", focusing on the available human resources.

personnel complement

Uses "personnel" for staff and "complement" to describe the full number required or available.

workforce composition

Shifts the focus from pure quantity to the structure or makeup of the staff.

human resources quantity

A more technical way of referring to the amount of staff available to a company.

staffing quota

Emphasizes any sort of numerical targets for staffing, more specific.

FAQs

How can I use "staff numbers" in a sentence?

You might say, "The company is evaluating "staff numbers" across all departments to identify areas for potential cost savings" or "Increased demand has led to a rise in "staff numbers" in the customer service division".

What are some alternatives to using "staff numbers"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "employee headcount", "workforce size", or "personnel strength".

Is it more appropriate to say "staff number" or "staff numbers"?

"Staff numbers" is generally more appropriate when referring to the overall count of staff. "Staff number" might be used in a very specific context relating to an individual employee's identification number, though this is less common.

How do "staff numbers" relate to a company's financial performance?

Changes in "staff numbers" often directly affect a company's payroll expenses and overall profitability. Increases might indicate growth, while decreases could suggest cost-cutting measures or restructuring.