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

Explanation

Employment is your occupation or the fact that you have a job. If you are looking for employment, you might start by attending a job fair — if you make a good impression, you might get hired immediately. If you have employment, it means you have a job. You can also use the noun employment to talk about exactly what that job involves, like your employment in the entertainment industry or in the carnival business. Employment also refers to the act of giving someone a job. The Latin root is the word implicare, meaning "enfold, involve, or be connected with."

Example Sentences

"The two sides could share some best practices and exchange experiences on how to address and manage" AI's impact on society, for example on youth employment, he said.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Separate research published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on Tuesday shows the current fall in youth employment rates is approaching the level of decline seen during the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

NextEra and Dominion say it will take 12 to 18 months to close the deal, and they’re already on the charm offensive, promising lower costs, greater charitable giving, and employment commitments for Dominion’s existing workers.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Aerospace and defense employment in Ouachita and Calhoun counties rose 54% from 2020, reaching 3,140 people last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

I informed him of my employment at Faneuil Hall, and that it should result in a small sum sufficient to carry our rent, with, however, no excess.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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