- the condition of being unemployed
- the number of unemployed workers, often as a percentage of the total labour force
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•em•ployed /ˌʌnɛmˈplɔɪd/USA pronunciation
adj.
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not employed;
having no job. - not currently in use.
- not productively used:unemployed capital.
n.
- the unemployed, [plural* used with a plural verb] persons without jobs.
un•em•ploy•ment
(un′em ploi′mənt),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the state of being unemployed, esp. involuntarily:Automation poses a threat of unemployment for many unskilled workers.
- Economicsthe number of persons who are unemployed.
- Economics, Informal Terms[Informal.]See unemployment benefit.
- un-1 + employment 1885–90
un•em•ployed
(un′em ploid′),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
- not employed;
without a job;
out of work:an unemployed secretary. - not currently in use:unemployed productive capacity.
- not productively used:unemployed capital.
n.
- (used with a pl. v.) people who do not have jobs (usually prec. by the):programs to help the unemployed.
- un-1 + employ + -ed2 1590–1600
- 1. unoccupied, idle, at liberty, jobless.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unemployment /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ n
'unemployment compensation' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):