A paradoxical state of such extreme inactivity that it starts to look like productivity. The person isn't busy—they're just so deep in an unemployed lifestyle (sleeping at 5PM, gooning at 3AM, forgetting what day it is) that they appear unreachable, booked, or on some mysterious grind. Unlike regular “unemployed” behavior (watching TikToks, sending memes, knowing slang like “ikiab” or “sybau”), circular unemployment is so advanced that even that stops. They disappear from socials, leave messages on read, and miss every trend—not because they’re working, but because they’re doing absolutely nothing.
The term “circular” refers to how inactivity loops around and mimics busyness. You think they’re slammed with life, but really they’re just lying in bed, completely detached from time, people, and pop culture.
Symptoms include:
– Ignoring texts for days
– Sending “just woke up” at 6PM
– Not knowing any viral trends
– Appearing mysterious or “deep” while actually gooning
– Social invisibility despite being online 24/7
The term “circular” refers to how inactivity loops around and mimics busyness. You think they’re slammed with life, but really they’re just lying in bed, completely detached from time, people, and pop culture.
Symptoms include:
– Ignoring texts for days
– Sending “just woke up” at 6PM
– Not knowing any viral trends
– Appearing mysterious or “deep” while actually gooning
– Social invisibility despite being online 24/7
“They haven’t replied in three days, but they also haven’t seen a single TikTok trend all week – classic case of circular unemployment.”
"Bro I thought he had an internship or something—turns out he’s just in full circular unemployment."
"Bro I thought he had an internship or something—turns out he’s just in full circular unemployment."
by marabus April 22, 2025