Polite noun referring to the effort or trouble someone has gone through, often used in expressions acknowledging that effort.
See also: 苦労
ご苦労をおかけして申し訳ありません。
I'm sorry for causing you trouble.
thank you for your hard work; I appreciate your efforts
Expression used to thank someone for their efforts, typically from a superior to a subordinate. Often used as a set phrase ご苦労さま or ご苦労さん.
See also: ご苦労さま
Thank you for your hard work today.
I put him through the trouble of coming all this way.
The boss thanked his subordinates for their hard work.
お疲れ様 is a general expression of appreciation usable among peers and toward superiors, while ご苦労 (as in ご苦労さま) is typically said by a superior to a subordinate.
苦労 is the plain, unmarked noun for hardship or effort, while ご苦労 is its polite form used to refer respectfully to someone else's trouble.
Standard spelling using the honorific prefix ご and 苦労.
Formal kanji spelling using 御 for the honorific prefix; less common in modern writing.
Combination of the honorific prefix ご and 苦労 (hardship, trouble).