NEW DELHI: India’s overall unemployment rate for people aged 15 and above remained unchanged at 5.2% in October, but urban joblessness climbed to a three-month high of 7%, according to the monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released on Monday. Rural unemployment saw a slight improvement, easing from 4.6% in September to 4.4% in October.
Female unemployment in the 15+ age group dipped marginally to 5.4% in October, compared with 5.5% in September, driven by a decline in rural female joblessness from 4.3% to 4%. Male unemployment held steady at 5.1%, as a small drop in rural male unemployment (from 4.7% to 4.6%) was offset by a slight rise in urban male unemployment (from 6% to 6.1%).
The data also showed the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) reached a six-month high of 55.4% in October, continuing its upward momentum from 54.2% in June. Rural LFPR increased from 56.1% to 57.8% over the same period.
Among women aged 15 and above, LFPR rose to 34.2%, the highest since May, driven primarily by greater participation among rural women. The report noted that female labour force growth was a major contributor to the expansion of the overall workforce. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) climbed to 52.5% in October, continuing its steady rise since June, again supported by an increase in rural female employment.
