Describes someone who cannot get a job — not because jobs happen to be scarce this year, but because of something about them: no skills, no training, no work record, a health problem, a criminal record, or a reputation for being impossible to work with. That is the important difference.

Describes someone who cannot get a job形容一個找不到工作的人—— not because jobs happen to be scarce this year不是因為今年剛好工作機會少， but because of something about them而是因為他們自己身上的某種問題： no skills, no training, no work record, a health problem, a criminal record, or a reputation for being impossible to work with沒有技能、沒有訓練、沒有工作經歷、健康問題、犯罪紀錄，或是很難共事的名聲。 That is the important difference這就是關鍵的差別。

A person who lost a job when the factory closed is unemployed; a person no employer would take on at all is unemployable. Unemployed is a situation you are in. Unemployable is a judgement someone is making about you, and it is a heavy one, so be careful with it.

A person who lost a job when the factory closed is unemployed工廠倒閉而失去工作的人是unemployed（失業）； a person no employer would take on at all is unemployable沒有任何雇主願意用的人才是unemployable。 Unemployed isUnemployed是 a situation you are in你正處在的一種狀態。 Unemployable is a judgement someone is making about youUnemployable是別人對你下的一個評語， and it is a heavy one而且是很重的評語， so be careful with it所以要小心使用。

It is often used about groups in serious discussions — 'we are creating a generation of unemployable young people' — where the speaker usually means society failed to train them, not that they are worthless. Used about one named person it sounds cruel, and people often say it half-jokingly about themselves ('after ten years at home I feel completely unemployable') to admit they feel out of date.

It is often used about groups in serious discussions它常用在嚴肅討論中的群體上—— 'we are creating a generation of unemployable young people'『we are creating a generation of unemployable young people』（我們正在製造出一整代找不到工作的年輕人）—— where the speaker usually means說話的人通常是指 society failed to train them社會沒能訓練好他們， not that they are worthless不是說他們一無是處。 Used about one named person it sounds cruel用在某個特定的人身上聽起來很殘忍， and people often say it half-jokingly about themselves但人們常常半開玩笑地這樣說自己 ('after ten years at home I feel completely unemployable')（『after ten years at home I feel completely unemployable』，在家十年後我覺得自己完全沒辦法找工作了）， to admit they feel out of date來承認自己覺得跟不上時代。

It also works as a noun for the group: 'the unemployable'. That use is old-fashioned now and many people find it offensive, because it labels human beings by a permanent lack.

It also works as a noun for the group它也可以當名詞、指這一整群人： 'the unemployable'『the unemployable』（那些找不到工作的人）。 That use is old-fashioned now這種用法現在有點過時， and many people find it offensive也有很多人覺得冒犯， because it labels human beings by a permanent lack因為它用一種永久性的缺陷去標籤一個人。