Marginal increase in unemployment rate: govt. report

The unemployment rate for persons of age 15 years and above in the country stood at 5.2% in April, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the National Statistics Office on Friday (May 15, 2026).

The unemployment rate (UR) in rural areas stood at 4.6% and in urban areas, it was 6.6%.

The UR or joblessness recorded for March, 2026 and April, 2025 was 5.1%.

Urban UR was observed as 6.8% in March, 2026, while the rural UR was 4.3% during the same period.

For male of age 15 years and above, the rural UR was 4.7% while for rural women of the same age group it was 4.4%. Among urban women, the UR was 8.5% compared to 5.9% observed for male persons.

The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons of age 15 years and above stood was reported as 55% in April. In rural and urban areas, the LFPR was observed to be 57.5% and 50.1%, respectively.

LFPR among rural men (15 years and above) was 78.1% during April, and 38.2% for rural women. In rural and urban areas, the LFPR was observed to be 57.5% and 50.1%, respectively.

LFPR among rural men was 78.1% during April, but for rural women it was 38.2%.

“In urban areas, LFPR among women in April was 25.0% compared to 75.2% observed for men,” the survey noted.

The Worker Population Ration (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above at the all-India level was 52.2% in April, with 54.9% reported in rural areas and 46.8% in urban areas.

“WPR among rural male of age 15 years and above was 74.5% during April. For rural women, WPR was found to be 36.5%. In urban areas, WPR among women during same period was 22.9% compared to 70.7% observed for men,” the PLFS found.