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

Wages are about 30% lower, and its unemployment rate is double the national average. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

Additionally, supply and demand, geopolitical events, inflation, job growth and unemployment all play a role in where the rate goes. — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 8 July 2026

There was a fuel crisis, skyrocketing inflation, high unemployment, the recent trauma of Vietnam, plus the Cold War. — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found just last month that remote work could account for a 64% rise in youth unemployment. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 July 2026

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