Unemployment Rationalization

The argument that joblessness is primarily a result of individual skill gaps ("learn to code"), a lack of motivation, or an overly generous safety net, rather than a structural feature of capitalist economies (e.g., cyclical crises, automation for profit, offshoring). The unemployed are framed as a residual, problematic class.

Example: During an economic downturn, pundits blame unemployment on workers being "too picky" or on unemployment benefits "disincentivizing work." This unemployment rationalization ignores the collapse of aggregate demand and corporate layoffs, placing the burden of systemic failure on the individual's supposed moral or technical deficiencies.

by Abzugal February 8, 2026

Unemploymentese

Unemploymentese is a type of language where you abbreviate every single word in a sentence to save time

Person1: icl ts pmo sm n sb rn ngl, r u srsly srs n fr rn vro? lol atp js go 💔… b fr vro, idek nm, brb gng gtg atm lmao, bt ts pyo 2 js lmk lol onb fr
Person2: stop speaking unemploymentese nigga

by ZakovZalash March 5, 2025

Unemployment

having no job when your age is above like 20 or 30.

Dan is really in the depths of Unemployment. bro plays Fornite all day and never goes outside.

by appleapple_1 December 28, 2025

headline unemployment

(ECONOMICS) Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate). Does not include discouraged workers. Also referred to as "U-3" by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The BLS regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.

The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.

Given the way the government's headline unemployment rate is calculated, it can never reach 14%. This is because the civilian labor force includes only people who are working or have looked for a job in the previous four weeks. When the economy gets really bad (like now), unemployed workers get discouraged and give up looking for jobs. This causes the civilian labor force to decline as fast or faster than total employment.

{Louis Woodhill, "On Track for 14% Unemployment," RealClearMarkets (12 Jan 2010)}

by Abu Yahya July 19, 2010

Pre-Unemployment

See Pre-Unemployed

Pre-Unemployment is the worst part of graduating without a job offer.

by CmeDiG April 30, 2011

virtually unemployable

Is a virtual and real reality that you can't get employment for the following reasons.One,you don't have a legally provable resume that an employer would consider of value to shortlist because of huge year gaps in employment.Two,you don't have a high enough credit rating and score for an employer to consider you valuable enough to hire.Three,you don't have a social media profile that others would consider monetarily valuable enough to buy or acquire from you.Four,if you have complained enough to government or business about your employability woes and no one will go to bat for you to get yourself employed that is another sign.Five,you were not smart enough as a youth to make sure that you knew who and whom had access to your employment documentation when you sent it to companies without any conditions attached.That is always a sign that you are not in control of your career or careers in any manner.Sixth,when you have not been able to know who read your online employment documentation because you couldn't afford to spy on your employment documentation readers,that is another sign.

Bono in the Celtic Connection for November 2011 said that he was virtually unemployable without being in the U2 band,he meant that would not be employable outside of his band.

by B1j2p8b1 November 25, 2011

The Unemployment Aisle

This is where you can do self check out in grocery stores and such.

I'm in such a hurry and I only have 3 things to buy. I'm just going to have to use the unemployment aisle!

by cher_cherbear January 5, 2017