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

Powell has said there were several economic reports ahead before the Fed considered a rate easement, with a focus on unemployment rates. —Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

And the unemployment rate, at 4.2%, remains historically low. —Paul Davidson, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025

South Africa’s unemployment rate — among the highest in the world — increased for a second consecutive quarter to 33.2%, official data showed. —Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 13 Aug. 2025

In 2023 the situation was so dire that China’s youth unemployment rate was estimated to be as high as 46.5%, according to Peking University professor of economics Zhang Dandan. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025

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