work as a labour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "work as a labour" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a type of job or occupation, such as: "After finishing his university course, Dave decided to take a break from office life and work as a labour for a few months."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The author describes his work as a labour of love.

The Economist

Mr Teten continued to work as a labour activist, helping arrange an 18,000-strong strike at a factory owned by Gajah Tunggal, an Indonesian conglomerate.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

While working as a labour reporter for the newspaper Le Devoir, he covered the epic asbestos strike of 1949.

Encyclopedia Britannica

I'm a life-long Labour supporter: I worked as a Labour press officer during the 1997 election campaign and I now edit the Labour Uncut website, but it helps that I'm at the right of my party and she's at the left of hers.

Independent

Work could thus be divided in two: half of the time people would work as paid labour, and half of the time in sharing economy and voluntary work.

European Journal of Futures Research

Anything in Yorkshire that we were working on as a Labour group of MPs, we could count on Marsha always being there.

Independent

Earlier this month Mr Ferguson announced that he would be taking on extra work as a result of Labour's absence.

BBC

Further, Wydick (1999) observed a positive relationship between access to credit and propensity of working as a child labour in member households; however, the odds of working as a child in a household's business are higher when the borrowed fund is used for purchasing capital equipment instead of supporting operational activities.

Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research

The Harris provincial government was very clear in that Ontario Works was to serve as a labour market adjustment program with the provision of employment assistance as its primary goal.

Health Research Policy and Systems

Tom Baldwin successfully navigated the News International labyrinth while working as an overtly Labour-supporting senior political correspondent for the Times.

The Guardian - Opinion

Some describe their work as "slave labour".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "work as a labour", ensure the context clearly indicates the type of labour being performed, especially if it's manual or physical work. This helps avoid ambiguity and provides a clearer understanding of the role.

Common error

Avoid using "work as a labour" in contexts where the specific type of work is crucial. If the labour is skilled or specialized, using a more precise term such as "electrician", "carpenter", or "technician" provides more clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "work as a labour" functions primarily as a verb phrase, indicating the action of engaging in labour or manual work. As Ludwig AI indicates, it defines the type of job or occupation someone might have.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "work as a labour" describes engaging in manual or physical work. While grammatically correct, Ludwig AI marks its usage as rare. It appears across various contexts, including news, encyclopedias, and scientific articles, suggesting a neutral register. When using this phrase, ensure the context clarifies the type of labour. Alternative phrases like "perform labouring tasks" or "engage in manual labour" may provide more specific descriptions, depending on the situation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

work in a labour capacity

A more formal way to describe working in a labour role, emphasizing the capability.

perform labouring tasks

Focuses on the action of performing tasks associated with labour, highlighting the activity rather than the role.

engage in manual labour

Specifies the type of labour as manual, emphasizing physical work.

be a labouring worker

A slightly more descriptive alternative that highlights the worker's involvement in labour.

be employed as a labourer

Highlights the employment aspect, indicating a formal work arrangement.

function as a manual worker

Focuses on the role and function of a manual worker in a specific context.

work doing manual tasks

Focuses on the performance of manual tasks, specifying the type of work involved.

serve as a labourer

Emphasizes the service aspect of labour, suggesting a contribution to a larger effort.

undertake labour-intensive jobs

Shifts the focus to the jobs themselves being labour-intensive, rather than the role.

toil as a labourer

Emphasizes the strenuous and arduous nature of the work.

FAQs

How can I use "work as a labour" in a sentence?

You can use "work as a labour" to describe someone's job or role, such as, "After college, he decided to "work as a labour" in the construction industry to gain practical experience".

What are some alternative phrases for "work as a labour"?

Alternatives include "perform labouring tasks", "engage in manual labour", or "be employed as a labourer", depending on the specific context.

Is it more appropriate to say "work as a labourer" or "work as a labour"?

"Work as a labourer" is generally more common and specific, referring to a person who performs manual labour. "Work as a labour" is less frequently used, but can be correct if the context implies involvement in labour-related activities.

In what contexts is the phrase "work as a labour" most suitable?

The phrase "work as a labour" is suitable in contexts where you want to broadly describe someone's involvement in labour activities, often manual or physical, without specifying a particular job title or skill. It's also suited if you are talking about general condition of worker's status.