employable

[ em-ploi-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. able to be employed; usable.
2. capable of holding a job and available for hire.

noun

1. a person who is able to work and is available to be hired.

Other Words From

• em·ploya·bili·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of employable¹

First recorded in 1685–95; employ + -able

Example Sentences

Top-ranked business schools with powerful brands don’t seem eager to upend successful programs that are still attracting thousands of applicants willing to spend as much as $200,000 for their degrees and producing highly employable graduates.

From Time

It would empower people to invest in their own skills and become more employable.

From Time

As a convicted murderer, I will need to convince the parole board not only that I have been rehabilitated, but also that I am able to be a productive and employable citizen.

From MIT Technology Review

They are very employable — these are really high performing girls.

From The Daily Beast

Approximately 25 percent of employable Negro youth, for another example, are presently unemployed.

From The Daily Beast

But someone who can do very advanced math isn't necessarily that much more employable.

From The Daily Beast

They are suffering from what economists call "unemployment scarring": their time out of work has made them less employable.

From The Daily Beast

I am not employable, in large part, because my health issues make me uninsurable.

From The Daily Beast

They are employable enough where they suit, provided Mr. Huxley's caveat (p. 161) is steadily kept in mind.

From Project Gutenberg

There are, however, an additional three and one half million employable people who are on relief.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1968, 80 percent of employable women worked outside the home.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Employable

What does employable mean?

Employable means available and able to be hired for a job, especially for long-term employment.

The verb employ means to pay someone to do work. In the most basic sense, employable means someone is available and able to be employed—to be an employee. But it’s most often used in a way that implies that a person is a desirable candidate for a job, meaning they have the skills and experience that the employer wants. The opposite of employable is unemployable, meaning unsuitable for employment.

Employ can also be used as another word for the verb use, and employable can also mean able to be used. 

Example: If you want to appear employable, you have to have a professional-looking résumé.

Where does employable come from?

The first records of the word employable come from around the 1600s. Its base word, the verb employ, is recorded earlier and derives from the Latin implicāre, meaning “to engage.”

When companies search for employees, they narrow the field to employable candidates. In the most basic sense, this often means people who are legally able to hold that job. But the most employable candidates are those who fit—or exceed—all the qualifications the company is seeking. Job seekers typically try to make themselves as employable as possible by acquiring education, training, experience, and relevant certifications. When a person is described as unemployable, it’s usually a very negative statement about how they’re not fit to hold a job in any way.

When employable is used to mean usable, it’s often employed in situations involving the use of something in a specific way or for a specific purpose, as in Those tactics are not employable in that type of environment.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to employable?

• employ (verb)
• employability (noun)
• unemployable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for employable?

• usable

What are some words that share a root or word element with employable? 

• employer
• employee
• employment
• self-employed
• unemployed
• underemployed

What are some words that often get used in discussing employable?

• hire
• worker
• job
• job seeker
• business
• company

How is employable used in real life?

Employable is most commonly in the context of hiring qualified candidates for a job.

Certified personnel are more employable than those who are not certified. Written and practical exams are available across the country. #certification #employable #getcertified #goldstandard #nccco #craneandrigging https://t.co/h7eymGMWcg pic.twitter.com/RKsS0TJTuv

— NCCCO (@NCCCOorg) June 4, 2020

So you want a career in tech?

Applications are now open for our July 2020 cohort. We will equip you to become highly employable.

Apply: https://t.co/RQar9wcIPP pic.twitter.com/S7y5uQVx2P

— Dufuna (@dufuna_org) June 2, 2020

just chiming in here to say – agreed. I did coursework in data journalism to boost my skills and be more employable as a journalist. once doing coding, all i wanted was to get back to writing (and now have loans to pay off)

— Amanda James (@AmandaJamesNYC) June 4, 2020

 

 

Try using employable!

Is employable used correctly in the following sentence?

We’ve received a lot of applications from a lot of very employable candidates.