without a paid job but available to work
1600s, from 'un-' + 'employed', from French 'employer' meaning 'to use'
The concept of 'unemployment' as we know it is surprisingly modern - it only became a social category when wage labor became the dominant economic system!
Historically gendered as male-unmarked; women's 'unemployment' was often invisible (coded as homemaking). Labor statistics long erased women's economic participation and unpaid work.
Use neutrally when referring to job-seeking status. Acknowledge unpaid labor (caregiving, domestic) separately when relevant to economic discussion.
["job-seeking","between roles","economically inactive (if broader)"]
Women's economic contributions—both waged and unwaged—were systematically uncounted. Modern inclusive accounting recognizes diverse forms of work.
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