Meaning & use
off the books jobs
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Meaning
phrasepluralinformal
Jobs that are paid for in cash and not officially recorded, so no tax or benefits are declared.
Grammar: Always plural; used as a noun phrase. The singular concept is 'an off-the-books job'.
Patterns
- work off the books
- pay someone off the books
- an off-the-books job
He found off the books jobs at the market to avoid paying taxes.
Many workers rely on off the books jobs because they lack legal status.
The company was fined for hiring off the books jobs.
Common combinations
- work off the books
- She works off the books at a restaurant on weekends.
- pay someone off the books
- The owner paid the cleaners off the books to save money.
- off the books employment
- Off the books employment is common in the informal sector.
Synonyms and how they differ
- under the table
- Similar meaning but often refers specifically to secret cash payments; 'off the books' emphasizes lack of official records.
- undeclared work
- More formal and neutral; used in official reports and economics.
Opposites
Commonly confused: off the books jobs or off-book?
off the books jobs vs off-book
In theater, 'off-book' means an actor no longer needs the script; unrelated to illegal employment.
Practice
What does 'off the books jobs' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Off the books' means not recorded in official accounts, so such jobs are paid informally and often illegally. Option 1 is a literal misinterpretation; option 2 is the opposite; option 4 is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “off the books jobs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.