arbeitende

Arbeitende is a German noun formed from arbeiten with the present participle suffix -ende. It refers to people who work, i.e., individuals engaged in paid employment or other forms of productive activity.

As a noun, it has gendered singular forms: der Arbeitende (masculine) and die Arbeitende (feminine). The plural is die Arbeitenden, used for groups that include people of any gender. In usage, Arbeitende is often presented as a gender-inclusive alternative to traditional phrases such as Arbeiterinnen und Arbeiter, especially in formal writing or in contexts that aim to use inclusive language.

Usage and context: Arbeitende is commonly found in German-speaking regions, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is employed in policy texts, academic writing, and media to refer to the cohort of people who are employed or otherwise active in the labor market. It can denote workers as a social group or refer to the active workforce in economic analyses.

Relation to other terms: Synonyms include Erwerbstätige (those who are gainfully employed), Beschäftigte (employees), and Arbeitskräfte (labor force). Each term carries slightly different connotations: Erwerbstätige emphasizes employment status, Beschäftigte stresses being employed, and Arbeitskräfte often highlights the broader workforce in economic contexts.

In sociological and economic discourse, Arbeitende may be used to discuss labor conditions, wages, demographics, and trends without prescribing gender. The term remains one option among several for describing people who work in a neutral, inclusive way.