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Informist, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – India's unemployment rate for those aged above 15 years rose to 5.4% in the June quarter from 5.0% a quarter ago, driven by an increase in urban unemployment. The overall unemployment rate remained unchanged from the corresponding period a year ago. 

 

The urban unemployment rate for those aged above 15 years rose to 6.7% in the June quarter from 6.6% a quarter ago while the unemployment rate in rural areas rose to 4.8% from 4.3%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey for Apr-Jun. The female unemployment rate rose to 5.7% from 5.3% a quarter ago while the rate for men rose to 5.3% from 4.8%.

 

The labour force participation rate--the percentage of persons working or seeking work--moderated to 54.6% in the June quarter, from 55.5% in the March quarter and 55.0% a year ago. The rural labour force participation rate eased to 56.9% in the last quarter from 58.2% in Jan-Mar. The urban labour force participation rate was 50.2% in Apr-Jun, unchanged from a quarter ago.

 

The labour force participation rate among males across India was higher at 77.0% compared with 33.2% for females during the June quarter. In the March quarter, the participation rate was 77.3% for males and 34.7% for females.

 

The worker population ratio--the percentage of employed persons in the population--fell to 51.7% in the June quarter from 52.8% in the March quarter. In rural areas, the worker population ratio was 54.2% in the June quarter, down from 55.7% a quarter earlier. The urban worker population ratio was 46.8% in the three months ended June, slightly lower than 46.9% in the previous quarter.

 

More than half of the rural workforce, 52.9%, was employed in the agricultural sector in the June quarter. This was down from 55.8% in the previous quarter. In urban areas, the tertiary sector remained largely stable, accounting for 62.0% of workers during Apr-Jun from 62.1% a quarter ago.

 

The share of self-employed people in the overall workforce declined in the June quarter to 54.8% from 55.8% in the March quarter.  End

 

Reported by Shweta

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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