How to Say "joblessness" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “joblessness” is “desempleo” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El desempleo ha bajado mucho este año.
Unemployment has gone down a lot this year.
Muchos jóvenes sufren por el desempleo juvenil.
Many young people suffer from youth unemployment.
Perdí mi trabajo y ahora estoy cobrando el desempleo.
I lost my job and now I am collecting unemployment benefits.
Always Masculine
This word is always masculine, so always use 'el' or 'un' with it, even when talking about women who are out of work.
Abstract vs. Concrete
Use 'el desempleo' to talk about the general economic problem, but you can also use it to refer to the actual government money you receive.
Person vs. Concept
Mistake: “Él es un desempleo.”
Correction: Él está en el desempleo (or 'Él está desempleado'). Use 'desempleo' for the situation and 'desempleado' for the person.
Using the wrong verb
Mistake: “Tengo desempleo.”
Correction: Estoy en el paro or Estoy sin trabajo. Usually, you don't 'have' unemployment like a cold; you are 'in' it or 'receiving' it.
Related Translations
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