without a job although able to work synonym jobless How long have you been unemployed? an unemployed builder an increase in the number of people registered as unemployed CollocationsUnemploymentLosing 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 redundantBeing unemployed 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 Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, be counted as, be registered (as), … adverbcurrently, newly, still, … See full entry See related entries: UnemploymentExtra examples 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. He’s an unemployed builder. He graduated with a good degree, only to join the ranks of the unemployed. The party’s policies were popular among the unemployed.
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