India’s unemployment rate steady at 5.5% in June

India’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.5% in June, in line with May, according to official data released Wednesday. Female unemployment rose in June compared to a decline in the male jobless rate.

The unemployment rate among women increased to 5.9% in June from 5.6% in May, while the rate for men eased to 5.3% from 5.4%

Across regions, rural unemployment declined slightly to 5% in June from 5.1% a month earlier. In contrast, the urban unemployment rate rose to 6.6% from 6.4%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by statistics ministry.


The data covers individuals aged 15 years and above who were unemployed but actively seeking work. It is based on the current weekly status (CWS), which measures employment or job-seeking activity over the seven days preceding the survey.

Youth unemployment (15-29 years) increased to 16.2% in June from 15.9% in May. While the jobless rate for young men declined to 14.6% from 14.9%, it rose sharply for young women to 20.7% from 18.9%.

The survey covered 88,975 households and 372,852 individuals across rural and urban areas.

Labour force participation broadly steady

The labour force participation rate (LFPR), the share of the population working or seeking work, remained steady at 54.4% in June.

The worker population ratio (WPR), or employment rate, also held steady at 51.4%. Male WPR edged up to 72.9%, while female WPR declined to 30.8%.

Male LFPR increased to 77% in June from 76.7% in May, whereas the female LFPR marginally fell to 32.7% from 32.8%.

Regionally, the rural LFPR remained stable at 56.6%, while the urban LFPR rose to 50.1% from 49.8%.

Among young people, labour force participation softened slightly, with the youth LFPR easing to 40.3% in June from 40.4% in May. The rate for young men rose to 60.3% from 60.1%, while that for young women declined to 20.1% from 20.3%.