unemployment compensation

noun

: compensation paid at regular intervals (as by a government agency) to an unemployed worker and especially one who has been laid off

called also unemployment benefit

Examples of unemployment compensation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While Elliott has been concerned about Lamont’s moderate stances for years, the issue spiked to a new level recently among liberals when Lamont vetoed two controversial bills on affordable housing and awarding unemployment compensation benefits to striking workers. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025

Background Under Wisconsin law, certain religious organizations may be exempt from paying taxes, including unemployment compensation taxes. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

At the same time, however, Thursday's decision could open the door to large numbers of religious groups, some of them employing tens of thousands of people, fleeing and weakening the unemployment compensation system, which at one time was mandatory in Wisconsin and other states. —Nina Totenberg, NPR, 5 June 2025

Unemployment payments for millionaires: Federal funds cannot be used for unemployment compensation benefits for millionaires. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unemployment compensation

• deindustrialization
• immunoprecipitation
• individualisation
• individualization
• institutionalisation
• institutionalization
• internationalization
• neovascularization
• operationalization
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration

Legal Definition

unemployment compensation

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment compensation

: compensation paid at regular intervals (as by a state agency) to an unemployed worker and especially one who has been laid off

called also unemployment benefit

Note: Unemployment compensation is usually a fixed percentage of the former wages of an unemployed worker.