Particle.news
Download on the App Store

India’s Jobless Rate Ticks Up to 4.8% as Participation and Employment Reach 2025 Peaks

Rural gains, led by higher female participation, underpinned the improvement.

Overview

  • The December 2025 PLFS reports the Labour Force Participation Rate at 56.1% and the Worker Population Ratio at 53.4%, both the highest of the year.
  • Unemployment remained unchanged in rural areas at 3.9%, while urban joblessness increased to 6.7% from 6.5% in November.
  • Rural LFPR rose to 59% as urban LFPR dipped to 50.2%, indicating softer urban labour conditions.
  • Female engagement strengthened with LFPR at 35.3% and WPR at 33.6%, supported by rural female participation rising to 40.1%.
  • The estimates come from the NSO’s monthly PLFS using the Current Weekly Status approach and a sample of 373,990 people under the revamped 2025 methodology.