The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in manual labour. It may also mean all those that are available for work.

Workers may be unionised, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a co-ordinating role in organising ballots of the workforce, and strike action.

Benefits of membership

Benefits that come with being a member of the workforce are said to be financial independence, a feeling of usefulness, self-confidence, and respect from fellow citizens. However, they do not necessarily follow directly from being a member of the workforce. One's finances are commonly dependent upon one's employer, customers, wages and inflation; furthermore, one can feel useful without being a member of the workforce.

See also

• Division of labour
• Collective bargaining
• Labor force
• United States labor law
• Contingent Workforce
• Human Capital
• Occupational illness