The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word IDLERS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
I
D
L
E
R
S
More clues leading to the result IDLERS
- Slider prepared for lazy folk
- They do nothing: Bette succeeded without money
- The unemployed perpetrate devilries — I’ve kept clear
- Individuals doing little except remain sedentary initially
- Drones exploded right side and left
- Non-workers led astray in the grip of wicked sir
- The writer had 50 hesitant expressions: they won’t work
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "The unemployed/The unemployed" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case the unemployed/the unemployed = idlers.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does IDLERS mean?
IDLERS noun- One who idles; one who spends his or her time in inaction.
- One who idles; a lazy person; a sluggard.
- Any member of a ship's crew who is not required to keep the night-watch
- A mechanical device such as a pulley or wheel that does not transmit power, but supports a moving belt etc.