The Centre unveiled its inaugural month-to-month labour pressure and unemployment figures on Thursday, signaling a transfer in direction of real-time employment monitoring. Based on the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the nationwide unemployment charge (UR) reached 5.1% in April 2025 for people aged 15 and above, with a barely greater charge for males (5.2%) in comparison with ladies (5.0%).
This new month-to-month information, gathered by means of the Present Weekly Standing (CWS) metric of the Periodic Labour Drive Survey (PLFS), goals to supply faster and extra detailed insights into India’s job market. Beforehand, the labour pressure survey was solely printed on a quarterly and annual foundation.
Youth unemployment, ages 15-29, was recorded at 13.8% nationwide. City areas reported an unemployment charge of 17.2%, whereas rural areas stood at 12.3%.
Joblessness amongst these within the age group of 15-29 was 13.8 per cent throughout the nation. The speed of unemployment in city areas stood at 17.2 per cent, whereas it was 12.3 per cent in rural areas.
CWS, which stands for present weekly standing, is set based mostly on the exercise stage within the final seven days previous the survey date.
Based on the examine, the unemployment charge (UR) for ladies aged 15-29 was 14.4% nationwide, with a charge of 23.7% in city areas and 10.7% in rural areas.
For males in the identical age group, the joblessness charge was 13.6% nationwide, with a charge of 15% in cities and 13% in villages.
In April, the Labour Drive Participation Price (LFPR) in India stood at 55.6% nationwide. Rural areas exhibited the next engagement within the labour pressure, with an LFPR of 58.0%, in distinction to 50.7% in city areas.
For males, the LFPR remained sturdy in each rural and concrete settings, at 79.0% and 75.3% respectively. Nevertheless, ladies confronted a major disparity with a decrease LFPR. In rural India, the feminine LFPR was 38.2%, highlighting the prevalent reliance on casual and unpaid work, notably in agricultural households.
The Employee Inhabitants Ratio (WPR), indicating the proportion of employed people among the many working-age inhabitants, was recorded at 52.8% throughout the nation. The WPR was greater in rural areas at 55.4% in comparison with 47.4% in city areas.
Gender disparities have been evident within the WPR figures as properly. While rural ladies had a WPR of 36.8%, solely 23.5% of city ladies aged 15 and above have been engaged in employment. The whole feminine WPR for India in April was 32.5%.