unemployed

unemployed — adjective

1. describes a person who has no paid work and would like to have a job

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person who has no paid work and would like to have a job

Example

After the factory closed, Ayana was unemployed for nearly a year.

unemployed for [duration]

The government offers free training courses to unemployed workers who want to change careers.

unemployed + noun (attributive use)

Common collocations
  • unemployed workers
  • unemployed graduates
  • unemployed youth
  • long-term unemployed
  • become unemployed
  • remain unemployed
  • unemployed for [duration]
Synonyms
  • jobless

    slightly more informal; common in news headlines

  • out of work

    neutral phrase, interchangeable with 'unemployed'

  • laid off

    specifically means the employer ended the job due to business reasons, not performance

  • redundant

    UK English term for being laid off from a job that no longer exists

Antonyms
  • employed

    the direct opposite — having paid work

  • working

    general antonym suggesting active employment

Grammar Patterns

be/become unemployed

unemployed + noun

Usage Note

Commonly used as a complement after be / become / remain, or placed directly before a noun (unemployed graduates, unemployed youth). Do NOT use it as a count noun for an individual — 'an unemployed' is incorrect.

Common Mistakes

He is an unemployed.
He is unemployed.
'unemployed' is an adjective, not a noun for a single person.
She has been unemployed since three years.
She has been unemployed for three years.
use 'for' (not 'since') with a duration.

unemployed — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five describe a person without paid work, but they differ in nuance and context. 'Unemployed' is the most neutral and formal term, used in official statistics and everyday conversation. 'Jobless' is slightly more informal and common in news headlines ('jobless rate'), but carries the same broad meaning. 'Out of work' is a neutral phrase often used conversationally ('He's been out of work for months') and works well in both speech and writing. 'Laid off' implies the person lost their job because the employer reduced staff, not because of poor performance — important for job interviews. 'Redundant' is the standard British English equivalent of 'laid off' and is used in UK employment law ('she was made redundant'). Use 'unemployed' for formal writing and general reference; use 'laid off' or 'redundant' when the reason matters.

unemployed ↗joblessout of work ↗laid offredundant ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • unemployed workers
  • unemployed people
  • unemployed graduates
  • unemployed youth

Adverbs

  • long-term unemployed
  • newly unemployed

Phrases

  • become unemployed
  • remain unemployed
  • number of the unemployed

Prepositions

  • unemployed for [duration]

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in English from the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') attached to 'employed', which came from the Latin verb 'implicare' (to involve or enfold) via Old French 'emploier'. The meaning 'having paid work' for 'employed' dates from the 16th century, and 'unemployed' appeared shortly afterward to describe someone without such work.