The study gives accent of problem of unemployment in socio-cultural context and history. Pays attention to the human dimension of problem, first of all to psychological, health and social consequences of long-term jobless for man. Informs about meaning of work for man, history of unemloyment in the Czech Republic, reflexion of unemployment in classical economical theories. Reviewed in this connection is problem of globalisation and integration of today's world. The analyse of unemployment problem is spread about extracts of texts from period of the big econimic crises (Great Depression)of thirties years of 20th century.