Parado = Standing / Unemployed... Difference ?
The word 'parado' means 'standing', thus 'el hombre está parado' means 'the man is standing'. However, in Spain this can also mean 'the man is unemployed'.
I get how the word can mean the same thing, being derived from the verb 'parar' for 'to stop'.
However, how does one know in which sense it's being used ?
Gracias por ayudarme 
2 Answers
Great question, Falda 
The context is really the biggest key to understanding the meaning of /interpreting what is being said in any given language together with the verbs used.
Context: standing.
You would only say está parado if you could see him actually standing at the time anyway...otherwise the comment /observation would be meaningless and would have to carry a different meaning!
Ex: Está parado en la esquina de la calle. = He is standing at the corner of the street.
If the person was not standing then the comment/remark would evidently refer to him being unemployed. It all depends on what is said and the other words being used in the sentence! (Context)
In Spain they say:
Está en paro = He is unemployed
Es un hombre.... desempleado /sin empleo = He is an unemployed man.
Está de pie = He is standing.
Using this construction above can avoid the ambiguity in meaning at least when you are meaning that someone is standing!
ex: Están de pie = They are standing.
I hope this helps 
Corrijan mi español si es necesario, por favor
What if the man is standing in the unemployment line? (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
