Unemployment at 5.1% in April; Rise in Female Labour Participation Noted: PLFS Monthly Bulletin

New monthly jobs data reveals urban joblessness higher at 6.5%, with stark gender disparities in participation and employment rates.

The unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 years and above in India stood at 5.1% in April 2025, according to the first monthly bulletin of the revamped Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released Thursday by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This includes data from both rural and urban areas, providing a more granular and timely picture of the labour market.

Key Data Highlights:

• Rural unemployment: 4.5%
• Urban unemployment: 6.5%
• Male unemployment (15+ age group): 5.2%
• Female unemployment (15+ age group): 5.0%

The monthly bulletin, a new feature under the restructured PLFS model rolled out in January 2025, is designed to provide high-frequency labour market statistics to support data-driven policy interventions.

In rural India, joblessness among males was 4.9% while among females it was lower at 3.9%. In contrast, urban female unemployment stood at 8.7%, compared to 5.8% among urban males in the same age group. A sharper contrast was noted among urban women aged 15–29, with the unemployment rate soaring to 23.7%.

The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for those aged 15 and above was 55.6% overall—58.0% in rural areas and 50.7% in urban areas. Among men, the LFPR was 79.0% in rural areas and 75.3% in urban areas. Among women, participation was 38.2% in rural areas and 25.7% in urban areas, indicating a notable gender gap.

Employment Ratios:

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of the working population to the total, stood at:

• 52.8% at the national level
• 55.4% in rural areas
• 47.4% in urban areas

For women aged 15 and above, the WPR was:

• 36.8% in rural areas
• 23.5% in urban areas
• 32.5% nationally

The PLFS uses the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach, assessing whether a person was employed for at least one hour during the reference week. If not employed but available or seeking work for at least an hour during that week, the person is considered unemployed.

Revamp and Expert Insights:

The revised PLFS approach includes expanded household samples, enabling deeper insights into employment patterns and seasonal fluctuations. Labour economist Dr. Sridhar Kundu welcomed the changes, noting that monthly urban estimates and broader rural inclusion improve the dataset’s usefulness.

However, Dr. Kundu raised concerns about gaps in wage-related data and inadequate coverage of employment schemes such as MGNREGA. He questioned whether the improvements in data collection are aligned with a clear policy roadmap, especially in managing the growing mix of skilled and unskilled labour.

“The government’s investment in expanding PLFS is commendable, but unless the findings lead to strategic reforms, the potential of this rich data will remain underutilised,” Dr. Kundu said.

The ministry stressed that the results post-January 2025 should be interpreted in line with the updated sampling methodology. The monthly bulletin represents a significant shift toward more responsive, evidence-based labour policy planning.