NER noun [C]
UK /ˌeniːˈɑːʳ/ US /ˌeniːˈɑːr/
abbreviation for: neither employed nor retired: someone who does not have a job but is too young to retire

Because 11 months ago I became unem­ployed and, des­pite my determ­ined, increas­ingly des­per­ate efforts, I’ve not been able to get another job since. Yet with state pen­sion age less than nine years ahead of me, there’s no option to “call it quits” and take early retire­ment. So instead, I’ve become an NER – that is, Neither Employed nor Retired. And let me tell you, it’s utterly ter­ri­fy­ing, not to men­tion humi­li­at­ing.
[dailymail.co.uk, 17 April 2026]

doomjobbing noun [U]
UK /ˈduːm ˌdʒɒb.ɪŋ/ US /ˈduːm ˌdʒɑː.b.ɪŋ/
the activity of compulsively searching through job advertisements without a clear plan of what you are looking for, because you feel anxious about work or the future

“Doomjobbing” is the career version of doomscrolling—scrolling through seemingly endless job listings to try to find a new position. “Doomjobbing” isn’t about a lack of ambition. It’s about effort applied without direction in a high-pressure environment. But the professionals who move forward aren’t the ones doing the most—they’re the ones doing the most intentionally.
[forbes.com, 8 April 2026]

See also doomscrolling

dry promotion noun [C]
UK /ˈdraɪ prəˌməʊ.ʃən/ US /ˈdraɪ prəˌmoʊ.ʃən/
a promotion at work that involves taking on more responsibilities but does not come with a salary increase

In an ideal world, we steadily work our way up the corporate ladder, going from strength to strength and rising in seniority every few years or so, all with the pay cheque to match. Sadly, the reality rarely matches up. Thanks to the tough job climate, it’s much more likely that we’ll find ourselves offered a “dry promotion” – an increase in responsibilities without a change in job title or salary – than a shiny new role created just for us.
[stylist.co.uk, 20 February 2026]

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