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
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has pointed to the unemployment rate as a key gauge of the labor market.
—
Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition to possible brighter news ahead locally, national unemployment numbers for March were also released Friday and showed a gain of 178,000 jobs.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The median spell of unemployment is now about 2½ months, with the average much longer — about six months.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
An alternative unemployment figure that counts discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons edged up to 8%.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unemployment
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Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition to possible brighter news ahead locally, national unemployment numbers for March were also released Friday and showed a gain of 178,000 jobs.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The median spell of unemployment is now about 2½ months, with the average much longer — about six months.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
An alternative unemployment figure that counts discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons edged up to 8%.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Apr. 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 7 Apr. 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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