What Is an Employment Agency? Definition and Usage

Meaning 1：job placement service (Employment agency)

Employment agency 🔊

/ɪmˈplɔɪmənt ˈeɪdʒənsi/

n. (noun phrase)

A company that helps people find jobs and helps companies find workers.

Employment agency agent showing job listings to a job seeker in a modern office

job placement service 🔊

➕

/ˈdʒɒb ˈpleɪsmənt ˈsɜːrvɪs/

n. (noun phrase)

A business that matches job seekers with employers, often charging a fee to one or both parties.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Employment (from employ, 'to use' + -ment, 'state of') + agency (from agent, 'one who acts').

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'An agency that employs you to find employment.'

📖 Example

After graduating, I registered with an employment agency, and they helped me land my first interview at a tech startup. 🔊 After graduating, I registered with an employment agency, and they helped me land my first interview at a tech startup.

🔗 Collocations

temporary employment agency – Agency that provides workers for short-term assignments

register with an employment agency – To sign up as a job seeker with such an agency

specialized employment agency – An agency focusing on a specific industry, e.g., IT or healthcare

🔄 Synonyms

recruitment agency (n.) – A company that finds and screens candidates for employers

staffing firm (n.) – A business that supplies temporary or permanent staff

placement service (n.) – An organization that helps place individuals in jobs

🌱 Derivatives

employment agent (n.) – A person who works for an employment agency

employment counselor (n.) – A professional who advises job seekers within an agency

📖 Cultural Story

The concept emerged in the late 19th century during the Industrial Revolution, when private firms began connecting workers with factories. Modern employment agencies are now regulated in many countries.