Word family noun employee employer employment ≠ unemployment unemployed employ adjective employed ≠ unemployed employable ≠ unemployable verb employ
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishunemploymentun‧em‧ploy‧ment /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [uncountable] 1 BEthe number of people in a particular country or area who cannot get a job a town where there is high unemployment2 BEwhen someone does not have a job Closure of the plant means 80 workers are facing unemployment.3 American EnglishBEPEW money paid regularly by the government to people who have no jobon unemployment He’s been on unemployment for two months.COLLOCATIONSadjectiveshighThey live in an area where unemployment is high.lowThe area has the lowest unemployment in Europe.rising/falling unemploymentRising 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 unemploymentThese measures could result in massive unemployment in the construction industry.serious/severe unemploymentAfter 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 unemploymentThe government is spending more on projects to cut unemployment.cause unemploymentPeople blamed immigrants for causing unemployment.combat/fight unemploymentThe government’s first priority is to combat unemployment.unemployment increases/risesDuring 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 unemploymentThe crisis meant a sharp rise in unemployment.a fall/reduction in unemploymentWe are hoping to see a fall in unemployment.unemployment + NOUNthe unemployment rateThe unemployment rate was 17 percent.the unemployment levelThe unemployment level among young people is rising.unemployment figures/statisticsThey 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 the Corpus
unemployment• Admittedly, unemployment insurance is not the key perpetrator of unemployment.• Second, equations will be estimated for unemployment flows 1967 - 1985 for the whole economy.• High unemployment, non-payment of state wages and pensions and official cronyism and corruption will all be election issues.• Five years ago, for example, it was assumed that if unemployment fell below 6 percent, inflation would rise.• Closure of the plant will mean unemployment for 500 workers.• National unemployment is only 6%.• An employee who was given that choice and chooses resignation can still receive unemployment compensation or file a lawsuit against the boss.• The second problem is the prejudice which redundancy and long-term unemployment may create in the mind of the interviewer.• As for the unemployment issue, I have never, never, uttered one word about this sensitive and intensely sad situation.• The following review is selective and concentrates on the way unemployment benefit impacts on women.on unemployment• He's been on unemployment for three months.From Longman Business Dictionaryunemploymentun‧em‧ploy‧ment /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ noun [uncountable]1when you do not have a jobClosure of the plant will mean unemployment for 500 workers.Most of our staff now face unemployment.2ECONOMICS the number of people in a country who do not have a jobUnemployment rose by 32,000 in May.The region suffers from high unemployment (=many people do not have a job).the unemployment figures3American English informal money paid regularly by the government to people who have no jobI’ve never claimed unemployment. → see also NAIRU 