Overview
- Unemployment for ages 15 and above rose to 5.2% in September from 5.1% in August, according to MoSPI’s monthly PLFS using the current weekly status measure.
- Rural conditions drove the uptick, with the jobless rate rising to 4.6% from 4.3%, while urban unemployment edged to 6.8% from 6.7%.
- Labour force engagement strengthened, with LFPR at 55.3% (a five‑month high) and WPR at 52.4% (the highest since May), supported by a larger female workforce.
- Pressure was sharper for women and youth, as overall female unemployment reached 5.5% with urban female joblessness at 9.3%, and youth unemployment climbed to 15%, a three‑month high.
- The September estimates are based on a large sample of 375,703 individuals across 89,291 households using a seven‑day reference period.