un‧em‧ploy‧ment S2 W2 / ʌnɪmplɔɪmənt / 名词 [不可数名词]

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

形容词

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.

动词

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.

短语

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 .