layoff

American  

[ley-awf, -of] / ˈleɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

1. the act of dismissing employees, especially temporarily.

2. a period of enforced unemployment or inactivity.

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layoff Cultural  

1. The temporary or permanent removal of a worker from his or her job, usually because of cutbacks in production or corporate reorganization.

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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

On LinkedIn, Oracle employees, including software engineers, account executives and program managers, shared publicly that they were affected by a mass layoff at the company and were looking for new jobs.

From Los Angeles Times

The retreat will result in the layoff of some 50 U.S.-based employees.

From The Wall Street Journal

His was one of dozens of such posts describing the layoffs.

From BBC

And, in fact, it is easier to offer small raises when inflation is higher—which keeps real wage growth suppressed and helps defray some labor cost and reduce the need for mass layoffs.

From Barron's

The full scope of the layoffs isn’t yet clear, but some employees said internal metrics show the count of reductions thus far in the thousands.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cutback
• unemployment