un ‧ em ‧ ploy ‧ ment S2 W2 /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ employee , ↑ employer , ↑ employment ≠ ↑ unemployment , ↑ unemployed , ↑ employ ; adjective : employed ≠ ↑ unemployed , ↑ employable ≠ ↑ unemployable ; verb : ↑ employ ]
1 . the number of people in a particular country or area who cannot get a job:
a town where there is high unemployment
2 . when someone does not have a job:
Closure of the plant means 80 workers are facing unemployment.
3 . American English money paid regularly by the government to people who have no job
on unemployment
He’s been on unemployment for two months.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ high
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 1930s
▪ long-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.
■ verbs
▪ reduce/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.
■ phrases
▪ a 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 + NOUN
▪ the unemployment rate
The unemployment rate was 17 percent.
▪ the level of unemployment
The level of unemployment 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
► Do not say ' big unemployment '. Say high unemployment .