job security

IPA/ˈdʒɒb sɪkjʊərəti/
IPA/ˈdʒɑːb sɪkjʊrəti/

job security — noun

1. the degree to which a worker's position is stable, with little or no risk of bei

1.nounB1
Definition

the degree to which a worker's position is stable, with little or no risk of being dismissed or laid off from their job

Example

David worried about his job security after the company announced widespread layoffs.

collocation: worry about + job security

Teachers in public schools often enjoy excellent job security once they pass the probation period.

collocation: enjoy + job security

Common collocations
  • have job security
  • enjoy job security
  • offer job security
  • provide job security
  • worry about job security
  • threaten job security
  • protect job security
  • job security concerns
Synonyms
  • employment security

    slightly more formal, often used in economics or policy writing

  • job stability

    emphasises long-term continuity rather than protection from dismissal

  • tenure

    limited to academic or high-level professional positions with formal permanent status

Antonyms

Usage Note

Frequently appears in workplace discussions with verbs expressing concern (worry about, fear for), comparison (enjoy, offer, provide), or risk (threaten, undermine, protect).

Common Mistakes

The ladder has good job security.
I have good job security in my position.
Job security describes a person's employment situation, not a physical object's safety.
The workers demanded better job safety from their employer.' (meaning employment stability)
The workers demanded better job security from their employer.
Use 'job safety' for physical workplace hazards; 'job security' is about keeping your job.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Job security is the broadest and most common term, referring to the general likelihood that a person will keep their current position. Employment security has a slightly wider scope — it can describe a person's overall situation in the labour market rather than a single job. Job stability emphasises the duration and predictability of employment rather than protection from dismissal; a seasonal worker may have high job stability (same employer every year) but low job security (easy to let go). Tenure is the narrowest of the three, used almost exclusively for university professors and a few high-ranking public servants who have a formal permanent appointment that makes dismissal extremely difficult. In everyday workplace conversation, job security is the natural choice.

employment securityjob stabilitytenure ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • worry about job security
  • enjoy job security
  • offer job security
  • threaten job security
  • protect job security
  • fear for job security
  • undermine job security
  • guarantee job security

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'job' dates from the 1500s, probably from a variant of 'gob' meaning a lump or piece, and came to mean a piece of work. 'Security' comes via Middle English from Latin 'securitas', meaning freedom from care or danger. The compound 'job security' emerged in the early 20th century as industrial employment grew and workers began to describe the stability or instability of their positions.