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
This picture is more concerning for young men, who grapple with an unemployment rate of 9.6% compared to 6.7% a year ago.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Counties with more than 4% unemployment (labor surplus zones) account for approximately 3.5 million unemployed workers, while counties with less than 4% unemployment (labor shortage zones) need about 1.7 million workers to reach the 4% full-employment benchmark.
—Ariel Diaz, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
The unemployment rate in May, meanwhile, is expected to stay steady at 4.2%.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 1 June 2025
To make up for diminished attendance limits, many ticket prices are likely to rise — a potentially controversial move when surging national unemployment rates now rival that of the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unemployment
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Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Counties with more than 4% unemployment (labor surplus zones) account for approximately 3.5 million unemployed workers, while counties with less than 4% unemployment (labor shortage zones) need about 1.7 million workers to reach the 4% full-employment benchmark.
—Ariel Diaz, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
The unemployment rate in May, meanwhile, is expected to stay steady at 4.2%.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 1 June 2025
To make up for diminished attendance limits, many ticket prices are likely to rise — a potentially controversial move when surging national unemployment rates now rival that of the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unemployment
Cite this Entry
“Unemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployment. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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unemployment
noun
un·em·ploy·ment
ˌən-im-ˈplȯi-mənt
: the state of being out of work
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