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general::
noun ADJ. educated, qualified, skilled, trained a highly-skilled workforce | flexible, versatile | committed, dedicated, motivated | local A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed. | ageing, declining, diminishing A declining workforce has to provide for an increasing number of retired people. | available, total The shipyard has a total workforce of 9,000. | entire, whole The new management decided to retrain the entire workforce. | worldwide | large, small | reduced | 2,000-strong, 3,500, etc. | temporary | British, Japanese, etc. | female, male | industrial, manufacturing VERB + WORKFORCE employ, have The company employs a workforce of nearly 5,000. | cut, halve, reduce, slash, slim (down), trim | double, expand, increase | retrain, train | consult (with) The management always consults with the workforce before introducing major changes. | enter, leave The increase in the number of people entering the workforce has increased unemployment figures. WORKFORCE + VERB fall | double, increase, rise | number sth, stand at sth The workforce numbers 500. PREP. among a/the ~ There is a change in the distribution of skills among the workforce. | in a/the ~ One person in the workforce is always responsible for the same job. PHRASES a member of the workforce
Oxford Collocations Dictionary