workforce

workforce — noun

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

1.名詞B1
釋義

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

例句

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]

同義詞
  • 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.

文法句型

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

用法筆記

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…).

常見錯誤

❌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.