Its hard to believe that Webster 1913 didn't touch this node, but then looking at the latest Webster dictionary, it claims this word didn't become standard until 1943... Oh well.

Workforce:

  1. the workers engaged in a specific activity or enterprise
  2. the number of workers potentially assignable for any purpose
Or for a word that Webster 1913 does have: proletariat with similar meaning.

For the United States labor force, from 1991 to 1993:

  • Of the men 25 to 54 who found full time jobs, 23% where paid less than $215 a week and 23% where paid $600 a week or more.
  • The mean length of unemployment was 2.6 months.
  • The largest average monthly turnover was in retail at 9.8%
  • The highest turnover was for young workers age 16 to 24 at 15.8%
Source: Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Labor Force, 1991 to 1993, U.S. Census Bureau

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.