unemployed
adjective
un·em·ployed
ˌən-im-ˈplȯid 
: not employed:
a
: not being used
unemployed machines
b
: not engaged in a gainful occupation
an unemployed teacher seeking work
15% of the workforce was unemployed.
c
: not invested
unemployed capital
unemployed
noun
Examples of unemployed in a Sentence
the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed
Recent Examples on the Web
Venues of all sizes have been shuttered and many music industry members are now unemployed, from band members, talent agents, stage crew staff and audio engineers to tour bus drivers, box office employees, security guards and backstage caterers.
—
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
And more female workers — 28.6% — are functionally unemployed than male workers, whose true rate of unemployment stands at 20%, according to LISEP.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 26 May 2025
Even the latest figures show that those with college diplomas are much less likely to be unemployed than the general population.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
According to a 2024 study by ADP Research, 46% of the youngest employees, especially Gen-Z, would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work.
—Andrei Cretu, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unemployed
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George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
And more female workers — 28.6% — are functionally unemployed than male workers, whose true rate of unemployment stands at 20%, according to LISEP.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 26 May 2025
Even the latest figures show that those with college diplomas are much less likely to be unemployed than the general population.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
According to a 2024 study by ADP Research, 46% of the youngest employees, especially Gen-Z, would rather be unemployed than unhappy at work.
—Andrei Cretu, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unemployed
Cite this Entry
“Unemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployed. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unemployed
adjective
un·em·ployed
ˌən-im-ˈplȯid
1
: not being used
unemployed tools
2
: not employed : having no job
unemployed workers
unemployed
noun
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