Word family noun work workaholic worker working workings adjective workable ≠ unworkable overworked working verb work rework
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishworkerwork‧er /ˈwɜːkə $ ˈwɜːrkər/ ●●● S2 W1 noun [countable] 1 WORKERsomeone who does a job, especially a particular type of job workers in the tourist industry reports from local aid workers → guest worker, social worker2 [usually plural]WORKER someone who works in an organization and who is not a manager conflicts between workers and management attacks on workers’ rights3 → a good/hard/quick etc worker4 → the workersCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + workera skilled worker (=one who has special skills)There is a shortage of skilled workers.an unskilled workerSome ex-miners now had jobs as unskilled workers in factories.a part-time workerA high percentage of the female staff were part-time workers.a full-time workerThe bureau has only two full-time workers.a temporary/casual worker (=working somewhere for a limited period of time)Employees were fired and replaced with temporary workers.a manual/blue-collar worker (=someone who does physical work)Manual workers often live close to their workplace.a white-collar worker (=someone who works in an office, a bank etc)In the past, white-collar workers tended to work for one company for a long time, rather than changing jobs.a low-paid workerAs part-time, low-paid workers, many women earned very little.a factory/farm/office workerFactory workers threatened strikes.a research/rescue/health etc workerRescue workers searched the rubble all night looking for survivors.a construction worker (=someone who builds buildings, bridges etc)THESAURUSworker someone who does a particular type of job, or someone who works for an organization but is not a managera post-office workerThe workers are threatening to go on strike.The report shows that male manual workers earn twice as much as female workers.employee someone who has a job, especially a permanent job, with a particular company or organizationEmployees of the airline get generous reductions on the cost of flights.member of staff/staff member one of the people who work for a company, organization, school etc – used especially in official contextsTraining opportunities are available to all members of staff.Several staff members complained about his increasing strange behaviour.colleague (also coworker especially American English) someone you work with – use this especially about people who do professional jobs in offices, schools etcI’d like you to meet a colleague of mine, Jean-Michel Blanc.What should you do if a co-worker is injured?workforce all the people that work in a country, industry, or large organizationWomen make up 41% of the workforce.staff all the people who work in a company, organization, school etcThe staff were clearly worried about rumours of job losses.sales staffExamples from the Corpus
worker• Ambulance workers threatened to refuse all calls for twenty-four hours on New Year's Eve.• This pattern is confirmed by analyses of the process underlying the development of class consciousness among workers.• The report showed that blue collar workers lost ten days a year due to ill health, compared with five days for white collar workers.• About half the 6,000 white collar workers are likely to be made redundant in response to the shrinking market for coal.• There is increasing social mobility among senior white collar workers, who are able to move quite rapidly between organizations.• He says the country is not facing a shortage of farm workers, according to his spokesman Allen Kay.• The report shows that male manual workers earn twice as much as female workers.• We need more workers around here.• Many of the new workers are in training and should start fielding calls by late next week, she said.• Two new workers with similar performance records were brought in to replace them.• Tony was a retired post-office worker.• Despite the high unemployment rate, there is a shortage of skilled workers in some sectors.• We need better communication between the management and the workers.From Longman Business Dictionaryworkerwork‧er /ˈwɜːkəˈwɜːrkər/ noun [countable]HUMAN RESOURCES one of the people who work for an organization or business, and are below the level of managerThere are new health and safety regulations for factory workers.Many office workers suffer from eyestrain. → see also teleworkerAn employee is someone who is paid to work for an organization, especially someone who has a low-ranking job. A member of staff/staff member is someone who is employed by a company, organization, school etc. The staff are the people who work for an organization or business We now employ a staff of 25. The workforce is all the people who work in a country, industry, or large organization State industry employs almost one-third of China’s urban workforce of 150 million.Labour British English/Labor American English is all the people who work in an industry or country, especially people whose jobs involve working with their hands, in factories etc rather than in offices. Personnel are the people employed by a particular company or organization. Manpower is all the workers available to work for an employer or country. A colleague or co-worker is someone you work with, especially in an office. A workmate is someone who works closely with you, especially someone you are friendly with. → assembly worker → blue-collar worker → contract worker → core workers → factory worker → farm worker → guest worker → home worker → manual worker → mobile worker → nomadic worker → pink-collar worker → portfolio worker → skilled worker → transient worker → unskilled worker → white-collar worker 