jobless

adjective

job·​less ˈjäb-ləs 

1

: having no job

2

: of or relating to those having no job

jobless benefits

joblessness noun

Synonyms of jobless

• unemployed

Examples of jobless in a Sentence

having been jobless for six months, he was starting to get seriously discouraged

Recent Examples on the Web

The data has painted a picture of a low-hire, low-fire economy, with weekly jobless claims low and one indicator showing layoffs at their lowest rate in four years. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Initial jobless claims have remained muted, while continuing claims for benefits are at their lowest level in more than three years, new data showed Thursday. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Michelle Fok, an organizer of the social program, says the goal is to create pathways into professional circus to help jobless young people. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims slid to 196,000, the fewest since mid-July and down from 206,000 the week before. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1