jobless

American  

[job-lis] / ˈdʒɒb lɪs /

adjective

1. without a job.

2. noting or pertaining to people without jobs, especially to those who are seeking employment.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. unemployed people collectively, especially those who are seeking a job.

jobless British  

/ ˈdʒɒblɪs /

adjective

1. 1. unemployed

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the jobless

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Other Word Forms

• joblessness
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of jobless

First recorded in 1800–10; job ¹ + -less

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Explanation

If you're jobless, you don't currently have a job. If you quit your early morning job at the donut shop, you'll be able to sleep late again, but you'll be jobless. The word jobless can be substituted for unemployed. Life can be difficult in a city with a large number of jobless people, and it's especially hard for an older worker to suddenly find herself jobless. The word dates from the early 20th century, and the job at the heart of it comes from the phrase jobbe of worke, or "piece of work," possibly related to gob, "mass or lump."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jobless

Other data scheduled include weekly jobless claims on Thursday and the final University of Michigan consumer sentiment indicator for October on Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The group stemmed from a joke made by Dipke in response to a remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant, who had likened jobless youngsters to "cockroaches".

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

The number of applications for jobless benefits is even lower than it appears if the government’s formula to adjust the data for seasonal swings in employment is removed.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

So-called initial jobless claims fell slightly in the first week of October to stay below the key 200,000 threshold for the fourth week in a row.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Perhaps to him I was someone he ought to look out for, a Korean- American, well educated, solitary-looking, seemingly jobless.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

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