an allowance of money paid, usually weekly, to an unemployed worker by a state or federal agency or by the worker's labor union or former employer during all or part of the period of unemployment.
Also called unemployment compensation.
Origin
1925-30
British Dictionary definitions for unemployment compensation
unemployment compensation
noun
1.
(in the US) payment by a governmental agency to unemployed people
unemployment benefit
noun
1.
(in Britain, formerly) a regular payment to a person who is out of work: replaced by jobseeker's allowance in 1996 Informal term dole
2.
(in New Zealand) a means-tested monetary benefit paid weekly by the Social Security Department to the unemployed
unemployment compensation in Culture
unemployment compensation definition
Short-term payments made to workers who have involuntarily lost their jobs.