labour exchange

A person visits the labour exchange to find a new job.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A government-run employment agency: "labour exchange" refers to an office or institution established by the state to help unemployed people find work and to assist employers in finding suitable workers. It serves as a formal intermediary in the labour market.
   • A system for matching jobs and workers: The term can also denote the broader network or process of connecting job seekers with job vacancies, particularly in contexts of public employment services.

Usage Examples

• (A government office that helps the unemployed.)
• (An institution that tracks and facilitates job placements.)

Advanced Usage

• "to go to the labour exchange": to visit a government employment office to seek work or claim benefits.

  • Many workers went to the labour exchange after the factory closed down. (They sought assistance from a state-run employment agency.)

• "labour exchange services": the range of functions provided by such an institution, including job matching, career advice, and training referrals.

  • The labour exchange services have been expanded to include online job portals. (The employment agency now offers digital resources.)

Variants and Related Words

• Labour (n): work, especially physical or manual work.

  • The project required a great deal of skilled labour. (Work done by people.)

• Exchange (n): the act of giving something and receiving something else in return.

  • There was a lively exchange of ideas at the meeting. (A reciprocal action.)

• Employment agency (n): a business or organization that finds jobs for people and workers for employers (often used interchangeably with "labour exchange" in some contexts, though "labour exchange" typically implies a government-run body).

Synonyms

• Employment office: a public or private agency that helps people find work.
• Job centre: a common term for a government-run labour exchange, especially in the UK.
• Manpower office: an older term for a government employment bureau.

Related Idioms

• On the dole: receiving unemployment benefits (often associated with registering at a labour exchange).

  • He was on the dole for six months after the labour exchange could not find him a job. (Receiving government financial support for the unemployed.)

• Out of work: unemployed.

  • Thousands of people were out of work and relied on the labour exchange for assistance. (Without a job.)