unemployable

American  

[uhn-em-ploi-uh-buhl] / ˌʌn ɛmˈplɔɪ ə bəl /

adjective

1. unsuitable for employment; unable to find or keep a job.

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noun

1. an unemployable individual.

unemployable British  

/ ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪəbəl /

adjective

1. unable or unfit to keep a job

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Usage

What does unemployable mean? Unemployable most commonly means unsuitable for employment or unable to keep a job.The word employable generally means available and able to be hired for a job, especially for long-term employment, but usually also implies that a person is a desirable candidate for a job. Unemployable is the opposite of this.When a person is described as unemployable, it’s usually a very negative and often insulting statement about how they’re not fit to hold a job in any way.However, unemployable can also be used in a neutral way that means they’re not able to be hired for some reason, such as legal status or a lack of positions.Example: Most employers consider convicted felons unemployable, but we give people a second chance.

Other Word Forms

• unemployability noun

Etymology

Origin of unemployable

First recorded in 1885–90; un- ¹ + employable

Example Sentences

Speaking to the Times, Ms Cabot said she is looking for another job but has been told she is "unemployable".

From BBC

The action, he’s said, makes him unemployable, even though he still has a license.

From Salon

Many may already be unemployable; the state recently suffered the nation’s highest rate of unemployment, particularly for teenagers and Generation Z, or people under 30.

From Los Angeles Times

Defendants find themselves both unemployed and unemployable, blacklisted, bankrupt and broken.

From Salon

After more than a year, the Maryland bar dismissed the charges; the D.C. bar charges remained a Sword of Damocles over my head for another eight years, rendering me both unemployed and unemployable.

From Salon