layoff

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The act of ending someone's employment because there is not enough work or money, not because of their performance.

   Grammar: Countable: a layoff, many layoffs; often plural in news.

   Patterns

   • announce layoffs
   • a layoff of workers

   The factory announced a layoff of two hundred workers.

   After the layoff, she spent months searching for another job.

   Layoffs hit the tech industry hard this year.

2. 2nouncountablesport

   A period when a person, especially an athlete, stops an activity or a regular schedule.

   Grammar: Usually singular with an or the: a long layoff.

   Patterns

   • a layoff from something
   • after a layoff

   After a six-month layoff because of injury, the pitcher returned to the team.

   The pianist found it hard to practice again after a long layoff.

   A short layoff would do the horse no harm.

3. 3phrasephrasal verbinformal

   As two words, lay off means to dismiss workers, or, informally, to stop bothering someone or doing something.

   Grammar: Separable when meaning dismiss: lay off workers or lay workers off; inseparable when meaning stop: lay off the sugar.

   Patterns

   • lay someone off
   • lay off something
   • lay off someone

   The company had to lay off fifty employees.

   Lay off the cookies if you want to lose weight.

   Please lay off him; he is already upset.

Word forms

Common combinations

mass layoffs

Mass layoffs followed the factory closure.

announce layoffs

The firm will announce layoffs on Friday.

temporary layoff

A temporary layoff gave workers time off without pay.

avoid layoffs

The city tried to avoid layoffs by cutting costs.

layoff notice

He received a layoff notice by email.

Synonyms and how they differ

redundancy

Redundancy is the British term for losing a job because it is no longer needed, while layoff is the common American word.

dismissal

Dismissal is broader and can follow misconduct, but layoff means the job disappeared, not that the worker was at fault.

downsizing

Downsizing describes a company shrinking itself, which may cause layoffs, rather than the dismissal itself.

furlough

A furlough is a temporary leave with the expectation of returning, but a layoff may be permanent.

Opposites

Word family

lay off verb

to dismiss workers, written as two words

laid-off adjective

dismissed from work for lack of work

lay verb

to put something down

Commonly confused: layoff or layover?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “layoff”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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