worker / workforce
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worker
A person who works; a worker or employee. Often used in the plural to refer to the workforce of a company or industry.
Die Firma sucht dringend neue Arbeitskräfte für die Produktion.
The company urgently needs new workers for production.
working capacity
A person's ability and energy to work; human capacity for work as a resource.
Er widmete seine ganze Arbeitskraft diesem wichtigen Projekt.
He devoted all his working capacity to this important project.
The word is made up of 'Arbeit' (work) and 'Kraft' (strength/force). So it literally means 'work-force'. This composition helps explain both meanings: the person who uses their strength for work, and the ability to work itself.
Ohne genügend Arbeitskräfte kann die Fabrik nicht produzieren.
Without enough workers, the factory cannot produce anything.
In the plural ('Arbeitskräfte'), the meaning is almost always 'people/workers'. In the singular, either meaning is possible; the context makes it clear: if it is about personal energy, it means the ability to work; if it is about an individual person, it means the worker.
Dem Land fehlen Fachkräfte in vielen Branchen.
The country lacks skilled workers in many industries.
When 'Arbeitskraft' (worker) refers to a person, it is often used with verbs such as 'suchen' (to look for), 'einstellen' (to hire), 'brauchen' (to need), or 'fehlen' (to be lacking). It is often described more precisely by adjectives such as 'qualifiziert' (qualified), 'billig' (cheap), or 'zusätzlich' (additional).
Wir suchen für unser Team dringend eine neue Arbeitskraft.
We are urgently looking for a new worker for our team.
When 'Arbeitskraft' (working capacity) refers to the ability to work, it is often used with a possessive pronoun (meine, deine, seine Arbeitskraft — my, your, his working capacity). Typical verbs are 'investieren' (to invest), 'einsetzen' (to use/apply), 'widmen' (to devote), or 'schonen' (to conserve/spare).
Er investierte seine ganze Arbeitskraft in den Aufbau der Firma.
He invested all his working capacity in building the company.
employee
Mitarbeiter refers to an employed person as a member of a company or organization. Arbeitskraft can refer to the same person, but presents them primarily as someone whose labor is being used. When talking about organizational membership, Mitarbeiter is appropriate; when referring to the available workforce, Arbeitskraft is more suitable.
Für die zusätzliche Schicht brauchen wir noch eine Arbeitskraft.
We still need one more worker for the additional shift.
Der neue Mitarbeiter gehört seit Montag zu unserem Team.
The new employee has been part of our team since Monday.
