workforce

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "workforce" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to the collective body of people employed by an organization or company. For example: "The company is looking to increase its workforce by 10% in the next year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Harrison on Tuesday claimed Whitbread's 40,000 staff were among the most satisfied on the high street and in the hotel industry, with recent workforce surveys suggesting "employee engagement" was at record levels.

The Guardian - Business

When sector leaders gather on Thursday at the annual conference of Skills for Care, the workforce development body for adult social care, the talk is likely to be about an even stiffer potential bill, however.

The Guardian

The British-built medical centre will be run by a Canberra-based company, Aspen Medical, which predicts 10% to 20% of the workforce will be Australians.

The Guardian

Barclays will announce on Thursday that it is cutting up to 8,000 investment banking roles – almost a third of the division's workforce – as it retreats from one of the most controversial parts of its business.

The Guardian - Business

Jenkins has already let it be known that he expects the 140,000 global workforce of Barclays – which includes high street banking, investment banking and fund management – to fall to 100,000 over the years as new technology replaces jobs.

The Guardian - Business

The force is down by more than 3,300 nurses, including 2,000 district nurses who provide care for people in their own homes or residential institutions – a 28% cut to what the RCN says is an integral part of the community workforce.

The Guardian

Related: Women in Labour: Miliband promises midwife for every mother giving birth In a report – The Fragile Frontline – published on Sunday, the college calls on the next government to increase resources for community health care, so that psychiatric and physical care can be safely provided outside of hospitals by a skilled workforce.

The Guardian

Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: "Whoever forms the next government must learn from this report and take immediate action to grow the nursing workforce and ensure it can keep up with demand with a sustainable and long-term plan.

The Guardian

"This will enable the aggregation of data across and within industries and will be invaluable to employers to assist them understand the characteristics of their workforce, including occupational segregation, the position of women and men in management and patterns of potentially insecure employment," the WGEA says on its website.

The Guardian

"[Social services minister] Scott Morrison's claims around the impact of his child care changes to workforce participation are dubious at best," acting shadow early childhood minister Jenny Macklin said.

The Guardian

We need to help build the capability of our next generation of leaders so a diverse and inclusive workforce can be achieved.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "workforce" when referring to the entire body of workers. For specific groups, use terms like 'employees', 'staff', or 'team members'.

Common error

Don't confuse "workforce" (the people who work) with "workplace" (the physical location where work is done). For example, instead of saying 'the workforce is unsafe', say 'the workplace is unsafe'.

Linguistic Context

The term "workforce" functions primarily as a noun, referring to the collective body of people engaged in work. Ludwig examples demonstrate its use in describing the staff of organizations, industries, and even nations. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

27%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "workforce" is a grammatically correct and very common noun that refers to the collective body of people engaged in work. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's widely used across various contexts, primarily in News & Media and Formal & Business settings. When writing about employees and staff, it is important to differentiate the people doing the job from the environment they are in. For synonyms, consider alternatives like "labor force", "employees", or "staff". While "work force" (two words) is also correct, "workforce" (one word) is generally preferred. Finally, be mindful of the potential for confusion with similar-sounding words such as "workplace", and always use the term that most accurately and inclusively represents your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

work force

Simply a different spelling of the same concept. In this case it becomes two words instead of one.

labor force

Replaces "workforce" with a more economics-focused term, emphasizing the supply of labor in an economy.

working population

Focuses on the portion of the population that is employed or seeking employment.

employees

A more direct synonym referring to individuals employed by a company or organization.

staff

Similar to employees, but can also include non-paid workers or volunteers.

personnel

A more formal term often used in HR or administrative contexts.

human resources

Emphasizes the management and development of employees within an organization.

manpower

Specifically refers to the number of men available for work or service (though increasingly seen as gendered).

labor pool

Refers to the available supply of workers for a particular industry or region.

working body

This alternative stresses the fact that the workforce is a single functional entity.

FAQs

How is "workforce" typically used in a sentence?

The word "workforce" refers to the collective body of employees or workers engaged in a specific activity or industry. For example, "The company plans to expand its "workforce" by hiring new graduates".

What are some synonyms for "workforce"?

Alternatives to "workforce" include "labor force", "employees", "staff", and "personnel", depending on the context.

Is it correct to use "work force" as two words instead of "workforce"?

Both "workforce" and "work force" are acceptable. However, "workforce" as a single word is more common in modern usage. They are semantically equivalent.

What is the difference between "workforce" and "manpower"?

"Workforce" is a general term for all workers, while "manpower" traditionally refers specifically to male workers, although its usage is declining due to gender inclusivity concerns. It is considered less appropriate in many contexts; it is preferable to use "workforce".