layoff
Americannoun
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the act of dismissing employees, especially temporarily.
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a period of enforced unemployment or inactivity.
Usage
What’s the difference between layoff and furlough? A layoff is usually a permanent removal from a job. A furlough is a temporary release of a worker from their job, typically with the expectation that they will be asked to return.Both words can also be used as verbs. An organization can lay off employees or furlough them. The adjective forms are laid off and furloughed.The word layoff is typically used in the context of a company permanently letting go workers due to economic reasons (such as not being able to afford to pay them) as opposed to performance reasons (employees let go for poor performance are typically said to have been fired).A furlough typically involves an employer requiring an employee to stop working for a period of time during which they will not get paid—though furloughed workers sometimes keep their benefits, such as health insurance. Furloughs can happen during government shutdowns or when a company does not need certain employees for a certain period of time but expects to need them back after that period ends.Here’s an example of layoff and furlough used correctly in a sentence.Example: A furlough is not ideal, but at least it’s temporary—the company is doing it to avoid layoffs.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between layoff and furlough.
Etymology
Origin of layoff
1885–90, noun use of verb phrase lay off
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even if some considered AI a convenient excuse for the layoffs, the downsizing sparked outrage among technology workers.
Substantial layoffs seem certain, but cost cutting alone won’t make the operation into the sort of entertainment powerhouse that can better compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney.
Artificial intelligence will apparently render much of white-collar work obsolete, leading to mass layoffs, falling spending, widespread defaults, a stock crash, a mortgage crisis, and plunging house values.
From Barron's
Barron’s reported in early February that the regulator’s storied Chicago office had zero enforcement attorneys and progress on enforcement actions had been slowed by layoffs and attrition.
From Barron's
After Nexstar Media Group announced layoffs at KTLA-TV this week, some viewers have expressed shock and dismay over losing several longtime local broadcast journalists at the station.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
