unemployment
n.-
1 the state of being jobless (n.) B1 Intermediatethe situation of not having a job when you want one.
the state of being without a job or a source of income from employment. Uncountable in this general sense.
ExampleAfter the factory closed, many local families faced long periods of unemployment.
ExampleThe psychological impact of long-term unemployment often extends far beyond the immediate financial strain on the household.
- joblessness
- redundancy
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2 economic rate or level (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Sciencethe number or percentage of people in a country who do not have a job.
the total number or percentage of the workforce currently without work but actively seeking it. Often used with 'high', 'low', 'rising', or 'falling'.
ExampleThe government is worried because unemployment has risen for the third month in a row.
ExampleEconomists argue that structural unemployment requires different policy interventions than the cyclical joblessness seen during a typical recession.
- unemployment rate
- full employment
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3 financial benefits (n.) B1 Intermediate American English Informalmoney that the government pays to people who do not have a job.
financial assistance provided by the state to individuals who are out of work. Often used as a shorthand for 'unemployment benefits' or 'unemployment insurance'.
ExampleHe had to go to the office to sign up for unemployment after he was laid off.
ExampleThe new legislation aims to extend unemployment for an additional six months to support those displaced by the recent industrial decline.
UsageIn American English, 'unemployment' is frequently used to refer to the benefit payments themselves.
From un- + employment.