The National Statistical Office (NSO) said on Wednesday that the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above in urban areas declined to 7.6 percent during April-June 2022 from 12.6 percent a year ago.

The unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above in January-March 2022 was 8.2 percent in urban areas, the 15th Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed.  It also projected  that the unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas declined to 9.5 percent in April-June, 2022 from 14.3  percent a year ago. It was 10.1  percent in January-March, 2022. Among males, the unemployment rate in urban areas dipped to 7.1  percent in April-June 2022 compared to 12.2  percent a year ago. It was 7.7 percent in January-March 2022.

Joblessness or unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons among the labour force. Joblessness was high in April-June 2021 mainly due to the staggering impact of Covid-related restrictions in the country. The latest data based on a periodic labour force survey, showing a decline in unemployment rate amid improved labour force participation ratio, point towards a sustained economic recovery from the shadow of the pandemic.  

Labour force participation rate in CWS (Current Weekly Status) in urban areas for persons aged 15 years and above increased to 47.5 percent in the April-June quarter of 2022, from 46.8  percent in the same period a year ago. It was 47.3 percent in January-March 2022.

 Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and, therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons. NSO launched PLFS in April 2017.

Based on  PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely unemployment rate, Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in CWS. The estimates of unemployed persons in CWS give an average picture of unemployment in a short period of seven days during the survey period.

India’s core sector scales down to 4.5 pc in July

India Economy Grows 13.5-pc in June in Q1

Govt approves provision of pulses to states at discounted rates