unemployment

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt How to pronounce unemployment (audio)
1
: the state of being unemployed : involuntary idleness of workers
also : the rate of such unemployment
2

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Workers are staying put not out of loyalty or satisfaction, but out of economic necessity and fear of unemployment. Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Along with the statement and dot plot release, officials will update their forecasts for gross domestic product, unemployment and inflation. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 Mounting financial stress Average credit scores fell sharply after the 2008 financial crisis, as unemployment skyrocketed and millions of Americans could not make their mortgage payments and defaulted on their auto loans. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025 Prosecutors, on the other hand, say Bell drives cars paid for by his wife and mother, lives for free in a house his wife bought, and receives unemployment checks. Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unemployment

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unemployment was in 1789

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployment. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

unemployment

noun
un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt How to pronounce unemployment (audio)
: the state of being out of work
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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