Not having a job or being able to find work can be a difficult situation to be in. It is also something that concerns countries that are trying to grow their economy. These questions about unemployment will help you have an insightful discussion on the topic.
Unemployment is a subject that is most suitable for adults to discuss, these questions are good for upper-intermediate level ESL students. The most challenging terms for English language learners in this speaking activity include – hardship, suffer, assistance, provide, refuse, survive, income, resume, fired, confidence, relocate, require, and employable.
The unemployment conversation questions are –
1 – What is unemployment like in your country? Is it easy for young people to get a job?
2 – Where would you say is the best place to look for work if you are unemployed?
3 – What kinds of hardships do unemployed people suffer? Has this happened to you?
4 – Is it difficult for older people to find a job where you live? What jobs can they do?
5 – Does your country provide any assistance for unemployed people? What is it?
6 – Which industries provide the most employment in your town or city?
7 – Is there a job that you would ever refuse to do? What is it and why wouldn’t you do it?
8 – How long do you think you could survive being unemployed without an income?
9 – What kinds of things can people do to cut costs when they are unemployed?
10 – When was the last time you wrote or updated your resume? What is on your CV?
11 – Do you think that some people choose to be unemployed? Why would they do this?
12 – Have you or anyone that you know been suddenly fired from a job? What happened?
13 – How many job interviews have you had in your lifetime? What were the jobs?
14 – In what ways could being unemployed affect a person’s confidence and happiness?
15 – What’s the longest amount of time that you’ve been unemployed? What was this like?
16 – How would your life change if you became unemployed tomorrow?
17 – Is there anything that would make you quit your job and make yourself unemployed?
18 – Has anyone you know been unemployed for a long time? Why can’t they find work?
19 – Do you feel nervous during job interviews and applying for new jobs?
20 – What are some things that can make people seem unemployable to businesses?
21 – Have you ever helped somebody else try to find work or get a job? What did you do?
22 – Would you relocate to another country for work? What would you require to do this?
23 – Which age group has the biggest problem of unemployment in your country? Why?
24 – What is something that you could do tomorrow to make yourself more employable?
25 – Is there a city or area in your country that has very high unemployment? Why is this so?
