1.
service industry; service sector
the sector of the economy that provides services rather than manufactured goods
Composed of サービス (service) + 業 (industry, business). Covers a wide range of businesses including hospitality, retail, food service, healthcare, and entertainment.
Common collocations
- サービス業に従事する: to be engaged in the service industry
- サービス業で働く: to work in the service industry
- サービス業の人手不足: labor shortage in the service sector
- サービス業全般: service industry as a whole
Similar words
- 接客業: customer-facing work — specifically jobs involving direct interaction with customers
- 製造業: manufacturing industry — produces physical goods, in contrast to services
- 第三次産業: tertiary industry — the economic classification that includes services
Note: In Japan, サービス業 workers often work weekends and holidays since those are peak customer times. This is a common topic in discussions about work-life balance.