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

The result was surging unemployment, civil unrest, and mayhem on the border. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, low unemployment and government largesse in poor regions help keep a lid on consumer grumbling. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

And the hike could be the first of a series instead of an anomaly, especially if unemployment remains steady and inflation continues to tick up. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

This was a period in which policymakers were committed to an economic doctrine that saw employment and inflation moving in lockstep — that the only way to bring down inflation was to increase unemployment. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

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