Unemployment rate up a tad to 4.8% in December

New Delhi: India's unemployment rate rose marginally to 4.8% in December from 4.7% in November due to increased joblessness in urban areas though it remained unchanged in rural areas, showed official data issued on Thursday.

Urban unemployment rose to 6.7% in December from 6.5% a month earlier, whereas the rural rate was steady at 3.9%.

The overall jobless rate among men increased to 4.7% in December from 4.6% in the month before, and among women to 4.9% from 4.8%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).


The survey covered individuals aged 15 years and above who were unemployed but actively seeking work. The figures are based on the current weekly status (CWS), which tracks employment or job-seeking activity in the seven days preceding the survey.

The survey covered 89,330 households and 373,990 people across rural and urban areas.

Youth unemployment (15-29 years) rose slightly to 14.4% in December from 14.1% in November, primarily due to an increase in the male jobless rate.

The labour force participation rate (LFPR), the share of population working or seeking work, climbed to 56.1% in December, the highest level since April, from 55.8% in November.

Female LFPR increased to 35.3%, also the highest since April.