unemployment

American  

[uhn-em-ploi-muhnt] / ˌʌn ɛmˈplɔɪ mənt /

noun

1. the state of being unemployed, especially involuntarily.

   Automation poses a threat of unemployment for many unskilled workers.

2. the number of persons who are unemployed.

3. Informal. unemployment benefit.

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unemployment British  

/ ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt /

noun

1. the condition of being unemployed

2. the number of unemployed workers, often as a percentage of the total labour force

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Usage

What does unemployment mean? Unemployment is the state of not having a paid job—of being unemployed.Unemployment is also commonly used in the context of economics to mean the total number of people unemployed, such as in a country, as in Unemployment is down this quarter, with thousands of new jobs having been created. The opposite of this is employment—the total number of people who are employed. Employment also commonly means the state of being employed.The word unemployment is sometimes used as a short and informal way of referring to an unemployment benefit, which is an allowance of money paid to unemployed workers, such as by the government. People receiving such a benefit are often said to be receiving unemployment.Example: Unemployment is extremely stressful when you go months without any job prospects. 

Other Word Forms

• antiunemployment adjective

Etymology

Origin of unemployment

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

Example Sentences

The Federal Reserve’s and Wall Street economists’ forecasts for 2026 are generally quite rosy, with growth accelerating, unemployment stabilizing and inflation falling in the new year.

From MarketWatch

Lynn Lee, who is seeking a job after her fourth layoff, ran out of unemployment benefits after more than five months of rejections.

From The Wall Street Journal

Initial jobless claims —- the number of people who apply for state unemployment benefits —- fell by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 199,000 in the week ended Dec. 27, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

From MarketWatch

Initial jobless claims —- the number of people who apply for state unemployment benefits —- fell by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 199,000 in the week ended Dec. 27, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

From MarketWatch

The number of Americans who filed for new unemployment benefits decreased in the Christmas holiday week, but stayed near a monthslong range, as the U.S. employers hesitate to let go of their workforce.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bankruptcy
• collapse
• decline
• deflation
• downturn
• hard times
• inflation
• shakeout
• slide
• slump
• stagnation