Japanese word

無職

Pronunciation

Romajimushoku

Meaning

  • noununemployed

Example

私は無職です。watashi wa mu shoku de su

I am unemployed.

Illustration for 無職 (unemployed)

More examples

今は無職ですが、毎日資格の勉強をしています。ima wa mu shoku de su ga mai nichi shi kaku no ben kyō o shi te i ma su

I am unemployed now, but I study for a certification every day.

Core concept

Presents the absence of current employment as a person's status, while leaving the reason and duration unspecified.

Common phrases

  • 無職の人mu shoku no hito

    an unemployed person

  • 無職になるmu shoku ni na ru

    become unemployed

  • 無職のままmu shoku no ma ma

    remain unemployed

Similar words

無業者mugyōsha: A person who has no occupation or current employment, including someone outside the workforce.
失業者shitsugyōsha: A person who has lost a job and is generally seeking new employment.

Definition in Japanese

職業や定まった仕事がないこと。また、その状態にある人。shoku gyō ya sada ma tta shi goto ga na i ko to ma ta so no jō tai ni a ru hito

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 無職 (mushoku) joins 無 (mu, "without") with 職 (shoku, "occupation") to mean having no occupation.

Usage tips

  • On Japanese administrative forms, 無職 (mushoku) commonly appears as an occupation entry, functioning as a category label rather than a complete account of a person's working life.

Opposites

  • 有職yūshokuemployednoun

Related words

  • 無職者mushokushaunemployed personnoun

Word lists with this word