layoff

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1.  Terminate a person from employment. For example, When they lost the contract, they had to lay off a hundred workers. This expression formerly referred to temporary dismissals, as during a recession, with the idea that workers would be hired back when conditions improved, but with the tendency of businesses to downsize in the 1990s it came to mean "terminate permanently." [First half of 1800s]
2.  Mark off the boundaries, as in Let's lay off an area for a flower garden. [Mid-1700s]
3.  Stop doing something, quit, as in Lay off that noise for a minute, so the baby can get to sleep, or She resolved to lay off smoking. [Early 1900s]
4.  Stop bothering or annoying someone, as in Lay off or I'll tell the teacher. [Slang; c. 1900]
5.  Place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker so as to reduce the risk. For example, Some bookmakers protect themselves by laying off very large bets with other bookmakers. [Mid-1900s]

v

Definition: relieve of responsibility
Antonyms: employ, hire

v

Definition: stop doing
Antonyms: begin, start

The temporary or permanent removal of a worker from his or her job, usually because of cutbacks in production or corporate reorganization.

1. When a company eliminates jobs regardless of how good the employees' performance.

2. A risk reduction, made by investment bankers, that minimizes the potential downside associated with a commitment to purchase and sell a stock issue unsubscribed by stockholders holding rights.

Investopedia Says:
1. This is usually because the company is facing financial difficulties.

2. This is a method whereby an investment banking firm, who has committed to buying up all the unsubscribed shares during a rights offering, will reduce the time risk involved due to the difference between entering into the contract and selling the shares. In other words, they are hedging against any losses due to time.

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For a list of words related to layoff, see:

• Labor - layoff: dismissal of workers, esp. temporarily

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - afskedigelse, arbejdsløshed, arbejdsløshedsperiode, pause

Français (French)
n. - licenciement, mise en chômage technique

Deutsch (German)
n. - Entlassung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (προσωρινή) απόλυση
v. - ξεκουράζομαι, σταματώ (συνήθεια), απολύω (προσωρινά), εγκαταλείπω, σταματώ, παύω

Italiano (Italian)
sospendere

Português (Portuguese)
n. - demissão
v. - demitir

Русский (Russian)
приостановка производства, увольнение

Español (Spanish)
n. - despido o suspensión de empleados, cierre, cesación de trabajo, paro forzoso

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - friställning, ofrivillig ledighet, arbetslöshet, arbetslöshetsperiod, paus, lugn period
v. - friställa, sluta upp med, låta bli, lägga bort, lägga av, (sl.) låta vara i fred, ge fan i, ta ledigt, vila, ta igen sig, lägga ut, mäta av

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
暂时解雇

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 暫時解雇

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 일시 해고 , 임시 휴직

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 一時解雇する, やめる

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮השעייה, פיטורים זמניים, הפסקה‬

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