India’s jobless rate for those aged 15 and above declined slightly to 5.1 per cent in July, driven by improved rural employment and increased female participation, signalling modest labour market recovery.
India’s jobless rate for people aged 15 and above eased to 5.1 per cent in July from 5.5 per cent in June, according to the latest monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the National Statistics Office. The improvement came as labour force participation climbed to 55.4 per cent from 54.4 per cent, suggesting a modest strengthening in hiring conditions and a larger share of the population either working or seeking work.
The decline was driven mainly by rural India, where unemployment fell to 4.5 per cent from 5.0 per cent a month earlier. Urban unemployment was little changed at 6.7 per cent, compared with 6.6 per cent in June. That urban reading remains well above the rural figure, underscoring the persistent gap between employment conditions in cities and the countryside. June’s bulletin had shown the overall unemployment rate steady at 5.5 per cent, with labour force participation unchanged at 54.4 per cent.
Female participation improved sharply in July, with the overall female labour force participation rate rising to 34.4 per cent from 32.7 per cent in June. Rural female participation climbed to 38.8 per cent from 36.6 per cent, while the urban measure edged up to 25.3 per cent from 24.8 per cent. The worker population ratio, which tracks the share of people actually employed, also strengthened to 52.5 per cent from 51.4 per cent, with the sharpest gain again coming from rural women.
Among men, unemployment fell to 5.0 per cent from 5.3 per cent in June, while rural male unemployment eased to 4.6 per cent from 4.9 per cent. Urban male unemployment was broadly stable month on month, though it was lower than a year earlier. The July estimates were based on a survey of 3,71,021 people, including 2,11,411 in rural areas and 1,59,610 in urban areas, according to the NSO.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
