jobless

[job-lis]

adjective

1. without a job.

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

noun

(used with a plural verb)

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

ˈjobless

/ ˈdʒɒblɪs /

adjective

1. 1. unemployed

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the jobless

Other Word Forms

• joblessness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ˈjobless¹

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

Example Sentences

More than 30% of the working-age population are unemployed - ranked by the World Bank as one of the worst jobless rates of any nation – and youth unemployment is even higher.

Read more on BBC

And the jobless rate, while steady last month, has risen half a percentage point since the start of the year and remains at its highest level since 2016, outside the peak during pandemic lockdowns.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Weekly jobless claims report is delayed for the second consecutive week.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

People file jobless claims when they lose a job and want to receive unemployment benefits.

Read more on MarketWatch

Putting businesses into a two-year bind crafted by uninformed arbitrators risks destroying companies and leaving employees jobless.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal