unemployment

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt 

1

: the state of being unemployed : involuntary idleness of workers

also : the rate of such unemployment

2

: unemployment compensation

Examples of unemployment in a Sentence

My unemployment lasted about six months.

Unemployment has been increasing for months.

The current unemployment rate is six percent.

Recent Examples on the Web

While the number of job openings slowed in the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate remains low. —Jason Leverant, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

Those at the rally like Abbott and Kucera urged lawmakers to press the bureaucracy to fast-track unemployment benefits and extend unemployment eligibility. —Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 7 May 2025

Overall unemployment in April, meanwhile, stayed stable at 4.2 percent, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. —Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025

Based on factors like unemployment rate and median household income. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing unemployment

• anti-unemployment
• unemployment compensation
• unemployment insurance

Rhymes for unemployment

• preemployment
• redeployment
• reemployment
• deployment
• employment
• enjoyment
• underemployment

Kids Definition

unemployment

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt 

: the state of being out of work