बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii)

noun A single-sense abstract noun meaning 'unemployment' -- the state of being without work. Built from बे- (be-, a negating prefix borrowed from Persian, 'without') plus रोज़गार (rozgaar, 'employment/livelihood') plus the abstract-noun suffix ी.
Sense 1 : unemployment; joblessness
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बेकारी (bekaarii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the most heard words in Indian news and political speeches -- नौकरी (naukrii, 'job') and बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii) come up constantly in election season, since job scarcity is a huge topic of everyday conversation in Delhi-NCR, from chai-stall chatter to TV debates. Note the family link: बेरोज़गार (berozgaar) is the adjective/noun for an unemployed person, while रोज़गार (rozgaar) alone means 'employment' or 'livelihood' in a positive sense.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii) as an adjective to describe a person ('an unemployed person'); the adjective for that is बेरोज़गार (berozgaar) -- बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii) itself only names the abstract condition, not the person. 2) Learners often reach for बेकारी (bekaarii) as if it were interchangeable, but बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii) is by far the more common word in everyday speech and news media for the economic/social condition of unemployment.
Sample Sentences:
देश में बेरोज़गारी लगातार बढ़ रही है। Unemployment is continuously rising in the country.
(desh men berozgaarii lagaataar badh rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले चुनाव में बेरोज़गारी सबसे बड़ा मुद्दा थी। In the last election, unemployment was the biggest issue.
(pichhle chunaav men berozgaarii sabse badaa muddaa thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर सरकार सही नीतियाँ बनाती तो बेरोज़गारी इतनी न होती। If the government had made the right policies, unemployment wouldn't have been this bad.
(agar sarkaar sahii niitiyaan banaatii to berozgaarii itnii n hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यार, चाय की दुकान पर सब बेरोज़गारी की ही बात कर रहे थे। Man, everyone at the tea stall was just talking about unemployment.
(yaar, chaay kii dukaan par sab berozgaarii kii hii baat kar rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बेरोज़गारी दूर करने के लिए सरकार को ठोस कदम उठाने चाहिए। The government should take concrete steps to remove unemployment.
(berozgaarii door karne ke lie sarkaar ko thos kadam uthaane chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेरोज़गारी की दर पिछले साल की तुलना में कम हुई है। The unemployment rate has decreased compared to last year.
(berozgaarii kii dar pichhle saal kii tulnaa men kam huii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
टीवी डिबेट में एंकर बेरोज़गारी के आँकड़ों पर सवाल उठा रहा था। In the TV debate, the anchor was raising questions about unemployment figures.
(tiivii dibet men enkar berozgaarii ke aankdon par savaal uthaa rahaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश बेरोज़गारी न होती, तो इतने युवा शहर छोड़कर न जाते। I wish there was no unemployment, then so many youths wouldn't leave the city.
(kaash berozgaarii n hotii, to itne yuvaa shahar chhodkar n jaate।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बेरोज़गारी के आँकड़े हर तीन महीने में सरकार द्वारा जारी किए जाते हैं। Unemployment figures are released by the government every three months.
(berozgaarii ke aankde har tiin mahiine men sarkaar dvaaraa jaarii kie jaate hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या बेरोज़गारी की समस्या कभी पूरी तरह ख़त्म होगी? Will the problem of unemployment ever end completely?
(kyaa berozgaarii kii samasyaa kabhii poorii tarah khatm hogii?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
बढ़ती बेरोज़गारी से जूझते हुए कई परिवार गाँव लौट आए। Struggling with rising unemployment, many families returned to their villages.
(badhtii berozgaarii se joojhte hue kaii parivaar gaanv laut aae।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii)
(sg.f.oblique): बेरोज़गारी (berozgaarii)
(pl.f.direct): बेरोज़गारियाँ (berozgaariyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): बेरोज़गारियों (berozgaariyon)