unemployment compensation

noun

: compensation paid at regular intervals (as by a government agency) to an unemployed worker and especially one who has been laid off

called also unemployment benefit

Examples of unemployment compensation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For those who have received unemployment benefits, make sure to have Form 1099-G ready, which details your unemployment compensation. —Tiffany Grant, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Federal workers can apply for unemployment compensation for federal employees (UCFE), which is administered by the states and the same as regular unemployment insurance benefits, the Department of Labor said. —Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025

They may still be entitled to unemployment compensation if they were furloughed or could not work. —Noah Weiland, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024

The Direct File program is open to those with W-2 income, Social Security income, as well as unemployment compensation and some other sources of income. —Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unemployment compensation

• deindustrialization
• immunoprecipitation
• individualisation
• individualization
• institutionalisation
• institutionalization
• internationalization
• neovascularization
• operationalization
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration

Legal Definition

unemployment compensation

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment compensation

: compensation paid at regular intervals (as by a state agency) to an unemployed worker and especially one who has been laid off

called also unemployment benefit

Note: Unemployment compensation is usually a fixed percentage of the former wages of an unemployed worker.