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 Keeping the unemployment rate low in recent months has been a triumph of the U.S. economy. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 The county’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent last month, which was the same as January’s rate, state labor officials said this week. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 As a result of corporate expansions and job growth, Miami-Dade has a historically low unemployment rate of 1.4%, according to data from the Federal Reserve. Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Employers added a stronger-than-expected 275,000 jobs in February as the unemployment rate edged higher to 3.9%, the 25th consecutive month that the nation’s jobless rate has been below 4%. Bryan Mena, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Economists said this doesn’t change expectations that the Fed will probably start cutting interest rates in June, with the booming February job gains offset by the downgrades for previous months and a rising unemployment rate. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 The state of the economy, a perennial centerpiece of presidential electioneering, is cited more than any other issue as the top concern in Nevada, which saw its unemployment rate spike to more than 30% during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024 But unemployment is low, and the economy is expected to grow 2.6% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, double the previous forecast. David McHugh and Vladimir Isachenkov, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 While that reputation remains, the state has a less enviable distinction: one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates. Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unemployment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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