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

Speakers like Brittany Taylor of Los Angeles Black Worker Center, pointed to disproportionately high unemployment rates among Black workers and described the reforms as a step toward addressing long-standing barriers to stable union city jobs. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 2 May 2026

March was the third month in a row that Minnesota’s unemployment rate exceeded that of the United States as a whole. —Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026

Economic quality of life indicators that were part of the formula include unemployment, wages, small businesses and commute time. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 1 May 2026

Illinois previously had a waiver for work requirements due to the state’s high unemployment rate. —Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 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