unemployed
adjective /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/
/ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/
- without a job although able to work synonym jobless
- How long have you been unemployed?
- unemployed workers/people
- I've been unemployed for 5 months.
- training for unemployed youth
- an unemployed miner/labourer/builder
- an increase in the number of people registered as unemployed
- Thousands of labourers became unemployed with no alternative employment.
Collocations UnemploymentUnemploymentLosing your job- lose your job
- (British English) become/be made redundant
- be offered/take voluntary redundancy/early retirement
- face/be threatened with dismissal/(British English) the sack/(British English) compulsory redundancy
- dismiss/fire/ (especially British English) sack an employee/a worker/a manager
- lay off staff/workers/employees
- (Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English) retrench workers
- cut/reduce/downsize/slash the workforce
- (British English) make staff/workers/employees redundant
- be unemployed/out of work/out of a job
- seek/look for work/employment
- be on/collect/draw/get/receive (both British English) unemployment benefit/jobseeker’s allowance
- be/go/live/sign (British English, informal) on the dole
- claim/draw/get (British English, informal) the dole
- be on/qualify for (North American English) unemployment (compensation)
- be/go/live/depend (North American English) on welfare
- collect/receive (North American English) welfare
- combat/tackle/cut/reduce unemployment
Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesb1- As I was voluntarily unemployed, I wasn't entitled to benefit.
- The closure of the factory left hundreds of men unemployed.
- 1 million women were registered unemployed, compared with 2.3 million men.
- unemployed graduates
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- be counted as
- be registered (as)
- …
- currently
- newly
- still
- …