employment

American  

[em-ploi-muhnt] / ɛmˈplɔɪ mənt /

noun

1. an act or instance of employing someone or something.

2. the state of being employed; employ; service.

   to begin or terminate employment.

3. an occupation by which a person earns a living; work; business.

   Synonyms:

   profession, trade, job, calling, vocation

4. the total number of people gainfully employed or working.

5. an activity or the like that occupies a person's time.

   She found knitting a comforting employment for her idle hours.

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employment British  

/ ɪmˈplɔɪmənt /

noun

1. the act of employing or state of being employed

2. the work or occupation in which a person is employed

3. the purpose for which something is used

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Usage

What does employment mean? Employment most generally means the state of having a paid job—of being employed.To employ someone is to pay them to work. An employer provides employment to employees.Employment can also refer to the act of employing people, as in We’re working to increase our employment of women. Or it can refer to a person’s work or how they earn a living, as in What does he do for employment?In the context of economics, employment is commonly used to mean the total number of people employed, such as in a country, as in Employment is up this quarter, with thousands of new jobs having been created. The opposite of this is unemployment—the total number of people who are unemployed (who do not have a job). Unemployment also commonly means the state of being unemployed.Employ can also be used as a synonym of the verb use, and employment can be employed as a synonym of the noun use, as in The employment of artificial intelligence creates many ethical concerns. Example:In this economy, finding consistent employment is a challenge for many workers.

Other Word Forms

• nonemployment noun
• overemployment noun
• proemployment adjective
• reemployment noun

Etymology

Origin of employment

First recorded in 1585–95; employ + -ment

Example Sentences

By the end of 2024, the economy was growing at 2.5%, inflation had fallen significantly, and the labor market remained near full employment.

From Barron's

“The current stance of monetary policy is well positioned to balance the risks to our maximum employment and price-stability goals,” Williams said, according to a published text of his remarks.

From The Wall Street Journal

A nationwide downturn in U.S. film and TV production caused a 30% employment drop from late-2022, as studios seek overseas tax breaks and streaming services cut spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

Debates around the neutral official cash rate and estimates of full employment would be fleshed out, said Huw McKay, visiting fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.

From The Wall Street Journal

If oil prices go significantly higher, that could pummel spending and employment, prompting the Fed to cut rates to prevent a recession.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• business
• contracting
• enrollment
• hiring
• job
• recruitment
• service
• trade