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

But though tariffs weighed on consumer spending and business activity, the economy still grew 2.1%, with unemployment in December standing at 4.4%.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The only way the unemployment rate would rise is if layoffs rose sharply — and there’s no evidence of that — or the labor force started to grow again.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Big picture: The labor market has stabilized in a low-hire, low-fire environment, while the unemployment rate has been in a range of 4.3% to 4.5% since last summer.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The effects from the continuing geopolitical uncertainty and higher oil prices are expected to weigh on hiring in the coming months, with some economists expecting unemployment to rise as a result.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The unemployment caused home foreclosures, leading to shortfalls in property tax receipts, and therefore holes in the school budget.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

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