unemployment

noun

un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt How to pronounce unemployment (audio)
1
: the state of being unemployed : involuntary idleness of workers
also : the rate of such unemployment
2

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
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.
Many of the trafficking victims are young, tech-savvy graduates from regions where unemployment rates are high. Charlie Campbell, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025 The only incoming presidents to inherit a lower unemployment rate were President George W. Bush in January 2001 and President Richard Nixon in January 1969. Matt Egan, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025 The December employment report from the Department of Labor showed that employers created another quarter of a million jobs last month, bringing the total since Biden was elected to more than 17.5 million, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1 per cent. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025 The Biden economy has seen the unemployment rate slashed by more than 2 percentage points, and looking stable lately despite a blip higher in mid-2024. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unemployment 

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unemployment was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near unemployment

Cite this Entry

“Unemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployment. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

unemployment

noun
un·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt How to pronounce unemployment (audio)
: the state of being out of work
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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