Labor Department
32
2.7
- proper noun
- /ˈleɪbər dɪˈpɑrtmənt/
- Formal
:
Departamento de Trabajo (EE. UU.)
- In 2010, California's Labor Department employed 48 inspectors to make sure employers abide by wage and hour laws.
Examples
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Wholesale prices fell 0.2 percent in October, the first decline since May, the Labor Department said.
Blog text (30) -
On Friday, the Labor Department will reveal just how bad the American job market is.
Blog text (30) -
I just got a call from the Labor Department.
-
No longer is the federal regional director of Health and Human Services or the Labor Department more important than a state governor.
Academic text (1993) -
While there were more jobs added to the economy, unemployment still rose, according to the Labor Department.
Blog text (30) -
- And more disheartening news, the Labor Department reports that the national unemployment rate has remained unchanged for the last four months.
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According to the Labor Department, the unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in years.
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The Labor Department announced new initiatives to improve workplace safety for all workers.
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In its annual report, the Labor Department highlighted the need for better training programs for job seekers.
Synonyms
81
3.8
A United States government department that protects workers and makes rules about work
15
2.8
A US government department that helps workers and protects their rights at work
2
5.6
A United States government department that makes rules and helps people at work
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'labor' (work, workers) plus 'department' (an organizational unit) yields a government department concerned with labor issues. This is a standard government-naming pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Labor Department gets its name from the idea of a government office: labor means 'workers' and the work they do, and department means a part of the government that handles a topic. So, Labor Department is the government part that looks after 'workers', 'jobs' and 'working conditions'.