out-of-work

An out-of-work actor waits tables at a local diner.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unemployed: "out-of-work" describes a person who is currently without a job or employment, typically seeking work.

Usage Examples

• (Describes a person without a job.)
• (Describes families without employment.)

Advanced Usage

• "out-of-work" as a compound adjective: Used before a noun to describe a person's employment status.

  • The out-of-work engineer struggled to find a new position. (The unemployed engineer had difficulty.)

• "out of work" (without hyphens): Used as a predicate adjective after a linking verb.

  • She has been out of work for six months. (She has been unemployed for six months.)

Variants and Related Words

• Unemployed (adj): having no job; out of work.

  • The unemployed workers formed a union. (Workers without jobs.)

• Jobless (adj): without a job; unemployed.

  • The jobless rate rose sharply last year. (The unemployment rate.)

Synonyms

• Unemployed: not having a paid job.
• Jobless: without a job.

Related Idioms

• Out of a job: without employment.

  • The factory closure left many people out of a job. (Many became unemployed.)

• On the dole: receiving government unemployment benefits (chiefly British).

  • He was on the dole for two years after losing his position. (He received unemployment benefits.)