HYDERABAD: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) has revealed key insights into India’s unemployment rate, showing a marginal decline for the calendar year 2024. According to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Wednesday, the unemployment rate among individuals aged 15 years and above decreased from 5% in the previous year to 4.9% in 2024.
In rural areas, the unemployment rate saw a slight dip from 4.3% to 4.2%. However, in urban regions, the picture was more varied. Unemployment among urban males rose slightly from 6% to 6.1%, while the rate among urban females dropped significantly from 8.9% to 8.2%. As a result, the overall urban unemployment rate remained stable at 6.7%.
The report noted that a reduction in the number of unpaid family workers contributed to a decline in the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) among rural women. Nonetheless, across all categories, especially in urban areas, there was a slight improvement in employment indicators.
The total urban WPR improved modestly from 47% to 47.6%, while the nationwide WPR moved from 53.4% to 53.5%. Among urban males, the LFPR increased from 74.3% in 2023 to 75.6% in 2024. For urban females, the LFPR rose marginally from 25.5% to 25.8%, taking the average urban LFPR up from 50.3% to 51%.
Despite these improvements, the overall unemployment rate across the country showed a minor increase from 3.1% to 3.2%, reflecting a complex employment landscape shaped by regional and gender-based differences.
