unemployed
gb/ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/ us/ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
state
1
without a paid job
If you are unemployed, you do not have a job.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is unemployed; unemployed [person/worker]; unemployed for [time]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse unemployed (adjective) with unemployment (noun).
Synonyms
jobless (Common and direct; often used in news and everyday speech.)
|
out of work (Slightly more informal; emphasizes the situation rather than status.)
Antonyms
employed (Having a paid job.)
|
working (Currently having work or a job (often less formal than employed).)
Collocations
be unemployed
|become unemployed
|recently unemployed
|newly unemployed
|long-term unemployed
|unemployed workers
|unemployed people
|unemployed job seekers
|unemployed for six months
|unemployed due to layoffs
Themes
work
|money
|society
|daily_life
Examples
- After the factory closed, hundreds of people in the town were unemployed.
- He’s been unemployed since January and is applying for jobs every week.
- The program offers training to unemployed workers.
Learner examples
- I am unemployed right now.
- She became unemployed last month.
Noun
formal
B2
entity
2
unemployed people as a group
The unemployed means people who do not have jobs.
Usage pattern:
the unemployed; support/help for the unemployed
Common mistake:
This is usually used with 'the' (the unemployed) to mean a group of people.
Synonyms
jobless people (More explicit and conversational than 'the unemployed'.)
|
unemployed workers (Emphasizes their identity as workers, often in policy contexts.)
Antonyms
the employed (People who have jobs, considered as a group.)
Collocations
the unemployed
|support for the unemployed
|benefits for the unemployed
|help the unemployed
|services for the unemployed
|among the unemployed
|the long-term unemployed
|the unemployed in [country/region]
Themes
work
|society
|government
|economics
Examples
- The new policy is designed to support the unemployed during the recession.
- Charities provided meals and advice for the unemployed.
- The report compared wages of the employed with the living conditions of the unemployed.
Learner examples
- The city offers free classes for the unemployed.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
not being used
If resources are unemployed, they are available but not used.
Usage pattern:
unemployed [capital/resources/labor/capacity]
Common mistake:
This meaning is usually about resources (capital, labor, capacity), not about a person’s job status.
Synonyms
unused (General word; not limited to economics.)
|
idle (Suggests potential activity that is not happening.)
Antonyms
utilized (Being used effectively for a purpose.)
|
employed (Put to use (a more formal/business sense).)
Collocations
unemployed capital
|unemployed resources
|unemployed labor
|unemployed capacity
|unemployed funds
|unemployed assets
Themes
business
|economics
Examples
- The company has a lot of unemployed capacity because demand is low.
- The policy aims to put unemployed capital into productive investment.
- During the downturn, many resources remained unemployed.
Learner examples
- The factory has unemployed capacity this year.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unemployed
IPA
GB/ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/
US/ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/
Syllables & stress
un - em - ployed (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ployed)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unemployed
Expressions
chronically unemployed
1/kɹˈɑnɪkli ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/
fixed phrase
formal
often unemployed over time
Chronically unemployed means unemployed again and again for a long time.
Examples
- The report highlights barriers faced by chronically unemployed adults.
- Targeted programs can help the chronically unemployed find stable work.
long-term unemployed
1/lˈɔŋ tˈɚm ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/
fixed phrase
unemployed for a long time
Long-term unemployed means without a job for a long time.
Examples
- The scheme focuses on training for the long-term unemployed.
- Long-term unemployed workers often need extra support to re-enter the workforce.
newly unemployed
1/nˈuli ˌʌnɪmplˈɔɪd/
fixed phrase
unemployed very recently
Newly unemployed means you just lost your job.
Examples
- The hotline offers advice for newly unemployed workers.
- She joined a support group for the newly unemployed.