unemployed

adjective

un·​em·​ployed ˌən-im-ˈplȯid 

: not employed:

a

: not being used

unemployed machines

b

: not engaged in a gainful occupation

an unemployed teacher seeking work

15% of the workforce was unemployed.

c

: not invested

unemployed capital

unemployed noun

Synonyms of unemployed

• out of work
• jobless

Examples of unemployed in a Sentence

the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed

Recent Examples on the Web

About 25% of all unemployed workers are out of work for at least 27 weeks. —Rob Wile, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026

Impact on interest rates While March's job gains signaled a return to a robust labor market, analysts also pointed to longer-term issues such as slow job creation, a shrinking labor force and a growing share of long-term unemployed workers. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026

Why this result makes sense The distribution of cash assistance has been evaluated in many places, usually targeting a specific kind of community, such as unemployed individuals or families living in poverty. —Benjamin F. Henwood, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026

Divorced and unemployed, Coop gets blackballed from the finance sector entirely. —Ryan Brennan april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unemployed

• the unemployed

Rhymes for unemployed

• albuminoid
• arytenoid
• cannabinoid
• carotenoid
• epidermoid
• epithelioid
• meteoroid
• paraboloid
• subarachnoid
• underemployed
• adenoid
• alkaloid

Kids Definition

unemployed

adjective

un·​em·​ployed ˌən-im-ˈplȯid 

1

: not being used

unemployed tools

2

: not employed : having no job

unemployed workers

unemployed noun