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 average worker is taking longer to find a new job, and that means more people are exhausting their unemployment benefits before any new paychecks begin. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026

California’s unemployment rate remains among the highest in the country, and the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office has warned that early-2026 job growth may have been overstated. — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Months of American and Israeli bombs have damaged the country’s industries and infrastructure, spiking unemployment and pushing more Iranians into poverty. — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026

New filings for unemployment benefits have held below 200,000 for four weeks, data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday shows. — Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 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