UNEMPLOYMENT Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

unemployment

noun

Definition of unemployment

as in joblessness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unemployment Protesters in the southern African country blame foreigners for high levels of unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026 Society gets far richer, but unemployment climbs well past anything seen in a typical recession. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 At the other extreme, GDP soars, but so does unemployment, with nearly 14% of workers losing their jobs to AI and less than half of them finding new ones. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026 The economic slowdown, combined with unemployment hitting a four-year high, has in recent months sparked a resurgence of anti-migrant rhetoric and vigilante violence targeting Africans who were accused of taking jobs and overloading public services. — semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unemployment

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unemployment

Noun

There's a lot of joblessness and internal displacement of people who have had to flee their homes because of this violence.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
The last three Democratic presidents inherited terrible economic conditions and had to spend to rescue the country from soaring joblessness, the housing crisis and the pandemic, respectively.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of joblessness

Noun

The initial Russian campaign represents completely irrational force employment and, in many cases, frankly, nonemployment.

— Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2022
The nonemployment crisis of the 2010s and the opioid crisis of the 2010s weren’t completely separate.

— New York Times, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2020

Definition of nonemployment

Noun

Recent construction in Folsom has also contributed to the rise, said Molieri, who founded Snakeout, a removal service.

— Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
If the Interior Department determines the animals have met recovery goals, the administration will also work with states to encourage them to remove state-level protections and revise standards governing lethal wolf removal.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of removal

Browse Nearby Words

unemployed

unemployment

unemployments

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unemployment. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unemployment

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on unemployment

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

churlish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes