unemployment

B1 Topic:Work & Careers

US /ʌn.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #10195

Meanings

1

noun
The state of not having a job.

Years of unemployment left him feeling depressed.
2

noun
The number of people without jobs in a country, often given as a percentage.

Unemployment was reported at 5.2% in May, up from 4.9% in April.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of not having a job. joblessness

More unworkworklessness

Opposites

employmentreemployment

Word family

Derived forms antiunemploymentfunemployment

Related forms unemployed

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

unemployment compensation
payments provided to eligible people who have lost their jobs

Noun + noun

Etymology

From un- + employment.

Topics

Work & Careers Economics & Markets

External links

# unemployment

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ʌn.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/
**Frequency rank:** 10195

## Meanings
1. The state of not having a job.
2. The number of people without jobs in a country, often given as a percentage.

## Examples
- Years of unemployment left him feeling depressed.
- Unemployment was reported at 5.2% in May, up from 4.9% in April.

## Synonyms
- joblessness
- unwork
- worklessness

## Antonyms
- employment
- reemployment

## Derived Forms
- antiunemployment
- funemployment

## Related Forms
- unemployed

## Etymology
From un- + employment.

## AI Etymology
Unemployment is from un- + employment. The surface analysis is un- + employment. The prefix un- supplies the negative or reversive element. In present-day use, it can mean the state of not having a job, or the number of people without jobs in a country, often given as a percentage. Derived formations include antiunemployment, funemployment.

## Topics
- Work & Careers
- Economics & Markets

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