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

Driving the news: The overall U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2% as of Q3 2024, but the rate among Black Americans was 6.5%, per the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank. —Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025

Emigration from India, particularly from northern states affected by political and sectarian violence and high unemployment, has surged recently. —Matt Rivers, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025

Job seekers say unemployment today can be grueling, with about 1 in 5 without a job for at least six months. —Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025

Widespread unemployment and rampant inflation have led to a poverty rate of 90 percent. —Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing unemployment

• anti-unemployment
• unemployment compensation
• unemployment insurance

Kids Definition

unemployment

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt 

: the state of being out of work