unemployed

American  

[uhn-em-ploid] / ˌʌn ɛmˈplɔɪd /

adjective

1. not employed; without a job; out of work.

   an unemployed secretary.

   Synonyms:

   jobless, at liberty, idle, unoccupied

2. not currently in use.

   unemployed productive capacity.

3. not productively used.

   unemployed capital.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. people who do not have jobs.

   programs to help the unemployed.

unemployed British  

/ ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd /

adjective

1. 1. without remunerative employment; out of work

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the unemployed

2. not being used; idle

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Usage

What does unemployed mean? Unemployed means not having a paid job—not being employed. A person who’s described as unemployed is typically out of work and looking for a job. A person who’s retired, for example, wouldn’t be said to be unemployed. Unemployed is sometimes used to refer to unemployed people collectively, as in These programs are intended to help the unemployed. The state of being unemployed is unemployment. The opposite of this is employment. The verb employ also means to use, and unemployed can be used to mean unused, as in We shouldn’t let these resources go unemployed. Example: I was unemployed for a long time before I was recruited in Greenland by someone who finally saw my strengths.

Etymology

Origin of unemployed

First recorded in 1590–1600; un- ¹ + employ + -ed ²

Explanation

If you're ready to work but can't find a job, you're unemployed. It can be a struggle for someone who's unemployed to pay their bills. People who lose their jobs are unemployed, at least until they find another one. Most governments have programs to support unemployed people as they search for work. To be employed means to have a paying job, but before the 17th century this word simply meant "be busy devoting yourself to something," and unemployed was used for people who weren't occupied with activities, but were enjoying some leisure time.

Example Sentences

This is what made me what I am today — fat and unemployed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Job security is a key feature of the job hunt these days, and searches for people who are unemployed can be lengthy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Still, the authors note that worker retraining programs can help insulate the unemployed from wage losses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

There is currently 0.9 job opening for every unemployed person.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Ten thousand construction workers also left the fair’s employ and returned to a world without jobs, already crowded with unemployed men.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• idle
• inactive
• jobless
• underemployed