LAYOFF Definition & Meaning

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layoff

[ley-awf, -of]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act of dismissing employees, especially temporarily.
a period of enforced unemployment or inactivity.

layoff

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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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of layoff¹

1885–90, noun use of verb phrase lay off

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

That was last year’s hopeful mantra for entertainment industry pros battered by layoffs and limited film and TV production.

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Months later, she released a budget that called for the layoffs of 1,600 workers, drawing an outcry from labor leaders, youth advocates and many others.

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The White House has said the aide, who has since left the CFPB, “did not even manage” the layoffs and called the allegations “another attempt to diminish DOGE’s critical mission.”

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The Employment Development Department confirmed that Frito-Lay had not filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, with the state, which typically requires employers to give 60 days advance notice of mass layoffs.

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In addition to the decline in linear TV, the company also cited a “dynamic macro-economic environment” and the continued priority of streaming business investments as the backdrop to these layoffs.

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Related 51�Թ�s

cutback��
unemployment��

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When To Use

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.

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