jobber
/ˈdʒɒbə
/noun
1 historical (In the UK) a principal or wholesaler who dealt only on the Stock Exchange with brokers, not directly with the public.Brokers made a commission charged to their principals; jobbers made a ‘turn’ on the bid-ask spread always intending to buy low and sell high....
- Transaction tax will finish day traders, jobbers and arbitragers, and cripple the share markets.
- The decision was taken at a meeting of over 1000 day traders, arbitragers and jobbers here today.
2North American A wholesaler.He has written for several years about the ways in which jobbers and middle-men ruthlessly exploit migrant labour in the informal sector....
- As a result, shippers, fruit jobbers, and retailers were primarily concerned about fruit weights, perishability, and aesthetic qualities, including color, flavor, and texture.
- Automated replenishment of parts offered by jobbers is utilized by 61 percent of repair shops; 25 percent work with WDs.
3A person who does casual or occasional work.Senators dismissed tariff opponents as a collection of ‘dealers, commission merchants, and jobbers.’...
- The taxi drivers want the Government to prioritise the number of double jobbers, reductions in incomes and increases in insurance costs.
- A pool of silver-haired jobbers would, he said, help to dampen the rise in the value of quotations because of demand outstripping supply.
Usage
On the UK Stock Exchange the term jobber was officially replaced by broker-dealer in 1986, broker-dealers being entitled to act as both agents and principals in share dealings.
Origin
Late 17th century (in the sense 'broker, middleman', originally not derogatory): from job1.