Meaning & use
jobless
Last updated
UK/ˈdʒɒbləs/
US/ˈdʒɑːbləs/
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Without a paid job; unemployed.
Grammar: Used mainly after verbs like be, become, or remain, or before nouns like rate, figures, or people. It is not usually used in the comparative.
Patterns
- be jobless
- become jobless
- the jobless rate
- jobless figures
He has been jobless for six months.
The jobless rate fell to 5 percent last month.
Many young people are jobless despite having degrees.
Common combinations
- jobless rate
- The jobless rate is a key economic indicator.
- jobless figures
- The government released the latest jobless figures today.
- jobless claims
- Jobless claims rose sharply last week.
- become jobless
- Thousands became jobless when the factory closed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unemployed
- Unemployed is the standard, neutral term and is more common in formal writing; jobless is slightly more informal and often used in economic statistics.
- out of work
- Out of work is an informal phrase meaning the same, but it is used after the verb 'be' and not before a noun.
Opposites
Word family
- joblessness noun
- The state of being without a job; unemployment.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'jobless rate' is a fixed economic term and takes a singular verb. Option 1 omits 'rate'; option 2 uses 'are' with a singular noun; option 3 uses 'are' incorrectly.
Make it your own
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