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
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
Growing financial stress after retirement Maria Fischer's career took her from social work to an airline counter at LaGuardia Airport, then unemployment during the COVID pandemic.
—
Dave Carlin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Continue to explore tax structures & economic safety nets when the price of goods drops, but mass unemployment becomes a reality.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But soaring costs, inequality, and youth unemployment saw resentment grow against her Awami League, which was banned from taking part in Thursday’s election.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The downgrade is based on state unemployment records that reflect actual payrolls rather than the government’s monthly survey.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unemployment
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Dave Carlin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Continue to explore tax structures & economic safety nets when the price of goods drops, but mass unemployment becomes a reality.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But soaring costs, inequality, and youth unemployment saw resentment grow against her Awami League, which was banned from taking part in Thursday’s election.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The downgrade is based on state unemployment records that reflect actual payrolls rather than the government’s monthly survey.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unemployment
Cite this Entry
“Unemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployment. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unemployment
noun
un·em·ploy·ment
ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt
: the state of being out of work
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