unemploymentun‧em‧ploy‧ment /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [uncountable] 
a town where there is high unemployment2when someone does not have a job: Closure of the plant means 80 workers are facing unemployment.3American English money paid regularly by the government to people who have no jobon unemployment He’s been on unemployment for two months.COLLOCATIONSadjectiveshigh· They live in an area where unemployment is high.low· The area has the lowest unemployment in Europe.rising/falling unemployment· Rising unemployment led to more crime.mass unemployment (=when very large numbers of people are unemployed)· the mass unemployment of the 1930slong-term unemployment (=when people are unemployed for a long period of time)· It can be difficult to help people out of long-term unemployment.large-scale unemployment (=when a lot of people are unemployed)· Large-scale unemployment among young people could have terrible social consequences.massive unemployment· These measures could result in massive unemployment in the construction industry.serious/severe unemployment· After the pit closed, the town experienced severe unemployment.widespread unemployment (=in many places)· The collapse of the currency led to widespread unemployment.youth/male/female unemployment (=the number of young people/men/women unemployed)· Youth unemployment there has reached 50 percent.verbsreduce/cut/bring down unemployment· The government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.cause unemployment· People blamed immigrants for causing unemployment.combat/fight unemployment· The government’s first priority is to combat unemployment.unemployment increases/rises· During their term in office unemployment increased by 50 percent.unemployment soars (=increases quickly to a high level)· The economic crisis has seen unemployment soar.phrasesa rise/increase in unemployment· The crisis meant a sharp rise in unemployment.a fall/reduction in unemployment· We are hoping to see a fall in unemployment.unemployment + NOUNthe unemployment rate· The unemployment rate was 17 percent.the unemployment level· The unemployment level among young people is rising.unemployment figures/statistics· They publish monthly unemployment figures for the UK.an unemployment blackspot British English (=an area where there is higher unemployment than in other places)· The town became an unemployment blackspot after the factory closure.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘big unemployment’. Say high unemployment.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Closure of the plant will mean unemployment for 500 workers.
- National unemployment is only 6%.
- Admittedly, unemployment insurance is not the key perpetrator of unemployment.
- An employee who was given that choice and chooses resignation can still receive unemployment compensation or file a lawsuit against the boss.
- As for the unemployment issue, I have never, never, uttered one word about this sensitive and intensely sad situation.
- Five years ago, for example, it was assumed that if unemployment fell below 6 percent, inflation would rise.
- High unemployment, non-payment of state wages and pensions and official cronyism and corruption will all be election issues.
- Second, equations will be estimated for unemployment flows 1967 - 1985 for the whole economy.
- The following review is selective and concentrates on the way unemployment benefit impacts on women.
- The second problem is the prejudice which redundancy and long-term unemployment may create in the mind of the interviewer.
WORD SETS
absenteeism, nounarticled clerk, black economy, nounbloodletting, nounblue-collar, adjectivebook-keeper, nounboss, nounbusiness agent, career path, nouncareer structure, nounCFO, Chartered Financial Consultant, nounCIO, co-manager, nouncommercial agent, company car, nouncompany doctor, company officer, competence, nouncompliance officer, co-worker, nouncreative director, curriculum vitae, nounCV, noundeputy chairman, deskill, verbdismiss, verbdowngrade, verbdownsize, verbearn, verbearner, nounemploy, verbemployable, adjectiveemployee, nounemployer, nounemployment agency, nounengage, verbenrolled agent, escrow agent, executive chairman, filing clerk, fill-in, nounfull-time, adjectiveheadhunter, nounhealth and safety, nounhuman resources, nounjob application, job centre, nounjobless, adjectivelabour exchange, nounledger clerk, moonlight, verbnatural wastage, nounnepotism, nounnetworking, nounnine to five, adverbnumber-cruncher, nounoccupational, adjectiveoff, adverboff-duty, adjectiveoperative, nounoutwork, nounoverseer, nounoverstaffed, adjectivepenalty clause, nounpension fund, nounpension plan, nounpersonnel, nounpiecework, nounpositive discrimination, nounpost, nounpreferment, nounproject engineer, qualification, nounqualify, verbquit, verbrecommendation, nounrecruit, verbredeploy, verbredundancy, nounredundant, adjectivereferee, nounreference, nounreinstate, verbresearch manager, resign, verbresignation, nounresume, nounretired, adjectiveretiree, nounretirement, nounself-employed, adjectivesharecropper, nounshift, nounskilled, adjectivetechnical analyst, testimonial, nountime and motion study, nountrainee, nountransfer agent, underemployed, adjectiveundermanned, adjectiveunderstaffed, adjectiveunemployable, adjectiveunemployed, adjectiveunemployment, noununemployment benefit, noununskilled, adjectivevacancy, nounvacant, adjectivewhite-collar, adjectiveworkday, nounwork experience, nounworkforce, nounworking papers, nounworkweek, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives Arbroath is now the unemployment blackspot of northeast Scotland. people caught in the unemployment trapCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· They live in an area where unemployment is high.
· The area has the lowest unemployment in Europe.
· Rising unemployment led to more crime.
(=when very large numbers of people are unemployed)· the mass unemployment of the 1930s
(=when people are unemployed for a long period of time)· It can be difficult to help people out of long-term unemployment.
(=when a lot of people are unemployed)· Large-scale unemployment among young people could have terrible social consequences.
· These measures could result in massive unemployment in the construction industry.
· After the pit closed, the town experienced severe unemployment.
(=in many places)· The collapse of the currency led to widespread unemployment.
(=the number of young people/men/women unemployed)· Youth unemployment there has reached 50 percent.
verbs· The government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.
· People blamed immigrants for causing unemployment.
· The government’s first priority is to combat unemployment.
· During their term in office unemployment increased by 50 percent.
(=increases quickly to a high level)· The economic crisis has seen unemployment soar.
phrases· The crisis meant a sharp rise in unemployment.
· We are hoping to see a fall in unemployment.
unemployment + NOUN· The unemployment rate was 17 percent.
· The unemployment level among young people is rising.
· They publish monthly unemployment figures for the UK.
British English (=an area where there is higher unemployment than in other places)· The town became an unemployment blackspot after the factory closure.
COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘big unemployment’. Say high unemployment.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Arbroath is now the unemployment blackspot of northeast Scotland.· There have been changes in the way the unemployment figures are calculated.
· In April, the unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent, a 23-year low.
· The economic statistics tell a grim story.
· The government announced a new initiative to tackle unemployment.
people caught in the unemployment trap· In the mid-1970s this picture was about to change, as economic crisis produced widespread unemployment, and particularly high youth unemployment.· Many economists argue raising the minimum wage simply means higher unemployment among the very people such a measure is trying to help.· The disparities in the rates of unemployment between socio-economic groups widen during periods of high unemployment.· Share values were depressed by expectations of slower economic growth and higher unemployment.· Officials from one country told Ellena that its citizens had enough stress coping with high unemployment and other transition ills.· Anti-inflationary policies lead to restrictive monetary policies that deliberately produced high unemployment.· At the same time, higher unemployment will involve increased government expenditure on unemployment benefits.
· Trend data on employment and economic activity rates for women are less reliable, particularly given their low unemployment registration rates.· A booming economy, low unemployment and years of peace have made it difficult to replenish the graying ranks of white supremacists.· Wage growth will be low, unemployment high, with consequent feedback effects on the economy.· Thus, the alternative to low wages was unemployment.· In consequence, these cities have relatively low levels of unemployment.· Traditionally it's 6,500 inhabitants have enjoyed lower than average unemployment, better than average housing, good schools and medical facilities.· The lowest unemployment in the state, about 2 percent to 3 percent, runs along the Greenville-Spartanburg stretch of Interstate 85.
· The dispiriting memories of the seventies were fading. Mass unemployment had lost its old political potency.· The implication of the ad was that Labour had produced mass unemployment and the Tories would cure it.· Countries will become blighted and depressed regions, with mass unemployment.· It was the last upswing before the onset of slump, stagnation and mass unemployment.· But that knowledge has been buried in the war of words which has accompanied mass unemployment.· First, the advent of mass unemployment.· These same governments have been and continue to be the cause of mass unemployment and emigration.
· A currency union is likely to lead to a reduction in member countries' natural rate of unemployment.· This level of unemployment is called the natural level of unemployment.· Lucas did not suggest that the observed fluctuations in unemployment were systematic deviations from the natural unemployment rate.· Quite the contrary: they were fluctuations of the natural unemployment rate.· The discrepancy between L F and L *; is thus a measure of the natural unemployment rate U *;.· First arrive at an estimate of the natural unemployment rate.· Coen and Hickman rightly mistrust the use of NAIRUs to form estimates of natural unemployment rates.
· The response of government to rising unemployment must have two elements.· Recession and rising unemployment have increased welfare demands.· Time after time, ministers have tried to shift the blame for rising unemployment to the down-turn in the world economy.· The army's position is ambiguous. Rising unemployment in the countryside has cancelled out the economic gains of the early-1980s reforms.· But the group warned that the upturn would not be enough to reverse the rising trend in unemployment.· Policy-makers felt general disappointment with the stubbornness of prices in the face of rising unemployment.· This means that society is increasingly experiencing a lower standard of living than would be possible without rising levels of unemployment.· Their initial response to the growth of crime, which stemmed from rising unemployment and inequality, was heavy-handed and militaristic.
NOUN· As well as earnings from part-time work, other income can affect your entitlement to unemployment benefit.· He called on Ministers to come clean over secret proposals to cut the unemployment benefit period from a year to six months.· The two trade union confederations undertook to refrain from general strikes in return for minimum wage and unemployment benefit guarantees.· Successful targeting of unemployment benefit policies calls for analysis at the individual level.· All the women who had paid full National Insurance contributions had sufficient contributions to be eligible for unemployment benefit.· In fact, about a third of the women were both the sole earners and were ineligible for unemployment benefit.· These assumptions are very apparent in relation to unemployment benefit.· There would thus have to be drastic cuts in public expenditure, particularly in the soaring cost of unemployment benefits.
· All 2,060 workers will go in a town which is already an unemployment blackspot.· He believes some firms could then reject the town as an unemployment blackspot.· But North Tyneside, the region's unemployment blackspot would have taken little comfort from such news.· He believes the council is in danger of giving Darlington a bad image as an unemployment blackspot.· Cinderford stands in the heart of the forest of dean, an unemployment blackspot.
· His idea is to cap expenditure on entitlements: the mandatory spending on things like pensions, medical benefits and unemployment compensation.· While unemployment compensation is better than nothing, a job is better than either.· Social security, unemployment compensation, welfare, Medicare, food stamps, and public housing are examples.· After I lost my job, I started receiving $ 300 a week in unemployment compensation.· His problems started when one of the subcontractors collected unemployment compensation while working at the restaurant, he said.· It would be equally ridiculous to think of taxing only unemployed workers to finance the unemployment compensation payments which they receive.· And by collecting unemployment compensation, laid-off workers can continue spending, keeping the overall economy from slumping further.
· On polling day itself, the worst unemployment figures for 30 years were announced.· The monthly publication of the unemployment figures provides a depressing barometer of the dole queue.· But the long recession, together with high unemployment figures and a stagnant housing market, has changed homeowners' perceptions.· By February 1986 the government had announced fifteen separate changes to the way the unemployment figures were calculated and presented.· Does not the Minister realise that the unemployment figures in the Province are deplorable?· Next week's unemployment figures are not expected to show any significant reversal in the recent upward trend.· In 1979, he said, the incoming government had felt the unemployment figures were too high.· Nationwide, unemployment figures went up by 41,000, making the total 2,908,900 million.
· The mortgage is not only capped at 7.25%, it gives free unemployment insurance during the first two years.· Admittedly, unemployment insurance is not the key perpetrator of unemployment.· According to a recent survey, one in four new borrowers takes out unemployment insurance, double the number of three years ago.· Eighty percent of wages replaced when on unemployment insurance!· Even the United Kingdom Beveridge scheme had only a minor effect on unemployment insurance.· State laws spread unemployment insurance payments over a four-day week.· In the United States unemployment insurance, accident compensation and public assistance underwent no major changes.· Among themselves, economists usually agree that welfare payments and unemployment insurance make getting a job less attractive.
· Evidence indicates that micro-chip technology could ensure that present high unemployment levels will continue.· James Prior said unemployment levels were intolerable and Norman Tebbit said that he was going to prove that the problem was soluble.· Even the unemployed place government policy rather low in a list of factors responsible for high unemployment levels.· The Government can not be proud of unemployment levels of 7.6 percent. and male unemployment of 10.1 percent.· But his Conservative counterpart said the drop in funding only reflected the fall in unemployment levels since their peak in 1986.· Scant weight is given to indices of economic deprivation, such as unemployment levels and proportions of children or families in receipt of Supplementary Benefit.· The Western Isles has one of the highest unemployment levels in Britain.
· Similarly, as D L increases, the unemployment percentage falls but is unlikely ever to reach zero.· Similarly, a lower inflation rate could be achieved at the cost of an increase in the unemployment percentage.
· But there is little evidence of an overall graduate unemployment problem except in the late 1870s and early 80s.· Therefore the contraction in demand engineered by the government only succeeded in adding to the unemployment problem.· Churchill, Beveridge and their colleagues recognized that insurance dealt only with the most tractable tip of the unemployment problem.· There is a gross disparity between the size of the unemployment problem and the minuscule educational resources available to make adequate provision.· It can not be emphasised too strongly that our unemployment problems do not stem from the installation of such equipment.· We had a slump in 1981 - long before anyone else - which was when our unemployment problem began.· But they would not cure the endemic unemployment problem.· We still face unemployment problems, but the fact remains that employment has increased by 2,700.
· The unemployment rate and the ratio of job-seekers to vacancies both fell precipitately.· The unemployment rate in the area is about 13 percent, being rather higher in the winter months and near the coast.· To understand the unemployment rate, we also need to know how long the jobless have been without jobs.· The real unemployment rate has topped 17 %.· The report tracks the unemployment rate nationally and in 11 major states, including Michigan.· Changing metaphor, the equilibrium unemployment rate is seen to be shackled to the actual rate.· Of those, California posted the highest unemployment rate -- 7. 7 percent -- last month.
· So could her friends Michelle, Lenny, Tony, Sue a whole line of people caught in the unemployment trap.· This is likely to be particularly serious if either the poverty trap or the unemployment trap is encountered.· The unemployment trap has been substantially eased and the simplification of social security has had major effects.· This has led a number of commentators to argue that the unemployment trap is now of little importance to the real world.
· And in fact there are also topics to be drawn from the elements of the story - such as youth unemployment or divorce.· Juppe said he would soon announce measures to fight youth unemployment.· In the mid-1970s this picture was about to change, as economic crisis produced widespread unemployment, and particularly high youth unemployment.· Task forces, meanwhile, were directed to tackle youth unemployment.· At first this was because of high levels of youth unemployment and latterly because of demographic trends.· In recent years it has begun to experience high levels of adult and youth unemployment.· Not surprisingly, therefore, with youth unemployment so high, some school-leavers with qualifications fail to find jobs.· Thus, although youth unemployment is high, it tends to be of shorter duration than that among the older age groups.
VERB· The economic problems caused by unemployment led to the collapse of the second Labour government.· But it causes rural unemployment unless some considerable thought is put into the change.· Nowhere in the world has a minimum wage not caused higher unemployment.
· On all three occasions, peace had created unemployment among soldiers who were looking for adventure and pay.· Thirdly the recession has created high unemployment, with an increase in demand for social security and unemployment benefit.· Suppose that the union lifts the level of wages above the perfectly competitive market clearing wage, thus creating some unemployment.· The Conservatives say its imposition would raise business costs and thus create unemployment.
· Expenditure fell as unemployment fell, but it has continued to decline as unemployment has rocketed again.· Even if rates do fall again, unemployment may not fall with them.
· Small firms provide a useful channel for re-allocating labour from large firms without increasing official unemployment rates.· Reductions in spending on labour-intensive services increase unemployment and hence social security costs.· Unemployment figures increase Meanwhile, unemployment figures have risen to the highest level for more than five years.· The report concludes with references to increase in long term unemployment and slump in business optimism.· The right hon. Gentleman's minimum wage would increase unemployment by putting 2 million people out of work.· Such policies may hinder attempts to achieve economic growth and may increase the level of unemployment.· Any fiscal measures dampening demand for new cars will only increase unemployment in the motor trade.· However, every Labour Government have increased unemployment, as the Library will confirm.
· The Second World War was not, he argues. fought to reduce unemployment.· All they said was that they will reduce unemployment.· Our emergency programme should reduce unemployment by at least 600,000 over two years.· Labour relations have to be controlled to reduce unemployment.· Not surprisingly, expansionary demand management policies will be successful in reducing Keynesian unemployment.· Jim Prior considered it a disastrous Budget which would do nothing to reduce unemployment.· The more extreme Euro-pessimists would view any attempt at expanding demand to reduce unemployment as being necessarily inflationary.· Measures to reduce unemployment are of the utmost importance and have been outlined above.
· The economy looks like having zero growth this year with rising unemployment.· The rising unemployment rate was balm to Wall Street, which always worries over any hints of possible inflation.· The incidence of indebtedness continues to rise due to redundancy, unemployment and inflation.· The government would have more to spend, at the same time as real output would have risen offsetting unemployment.· He has taken Britain into negative growth, rising unemployment and falling output.· Prices will rise before wages, unemployment will increase and social security will, in real terms, fall.· Yet general prosperity was rising too, and unemployment was falling anyway.· The revenue crisis has led to rising unemployment and fewer new government jobs.
WORD FAMILYnounemployeeemployeremployment ≠ unemploymentunemployedemployadjectiveemployed ≠ unemployedemployable ≠ unemployableverbemploy
1the number of people in a particular country or area who cannot get a job: a town where there is high unemployment2when someone does not have a job: Closure of the plant means 80 workers are facing unemployment.3American English money paid regularly by the government to people who have no jobon unemployment He’s been on unemployment for two months.COLLOCATIONSadjectiveshigh· They live in an area where unemployment is high.low· The area has the lowest unemployment in Europe.rising/falling unemployment· Rising unemployment led to more crime.mass unemployment (=when very large numbers of people are unemployed)· the mass unemployment of the 1930slong-term unemployment (=when people are unemployed for a long period of time)· It can be difficult to help people out of long-term unemployment.large-scale unemployment (=when a lot of people are unemployed)· Large-scale unemployment among young people could have terrible social consequences.massive unemployment· These measures could result in massive unemployment in the construction industry.serious/severe unemployment· After the pit closed, the town experienced severe unemployment.widespread unemployment (=in many places)· The collapse of the currency led to widespread unemployment.youth/male/female unemployment (=the number of young people/men/women unemployed)· Youth unemployment there has reached 50 percent.verbsreduce/cut/bring down unemployment· The government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.cause unemployment· People blamed immigrants for causing unemployment.combat/fight unemployment· The government’s first priority is to combat unemployment.unemployment increases/rises· During their term in office unemployment increased by 50 percent.unemployment soars (=increases quickly to a high level)· The economic crisis has seen unemployment soar.phrasesa rise/increase in unemployment· The crisis meant a sharp rise in unemployment.a fall/reduction in unemployment· We are hoping to see a fall in unemployment.unemployment + NOUNthe unemployment rate· The unemployment rate was 17 percent.the unemployment level· The unemployment level among young people is rising.unemployment figures/statistics· They publish monthly unemployment figures for the UK.an unemployment blackspot British English (=an area where there is higher unemployment than in other places)· The town became an unemployment blackspot after the factory closure.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘big unemployment’. Say high unemployment.