jobless

adjective

job·​less ˈjäb-ləs 

1

: having no job

2

: of or relating to those having no job

jobless benefits

joblessness noun

Synonyms of jobless

• unemployed

Examples of jobless in a Sentence

having been jobless for six months, he was starting to get seriously discouraged

Recent Examples on the Web

That streak could be snapped in Thursday's trade, with futures called higher ahead of wholesale inflation data and another set of jobless numbers. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

In recent years, the jobless rate has risen for all Americans in the twenty-two to twenty-seven age group. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

In economic news, the Labor Department reported Thursday that more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs are still rare and jobless claims remain at historically low levels. — Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

That score saw its fourth consecutive increase in July, contrasting with the official jobless rate that has been steadily declining this year. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1