Unveiling India’s Monthly Unemployment Rate: Inaugural Job Survey Discloses Figures
In a significant development, India is transitioning from an annual or quarterly approach to a monthly survey of unemployment rates, now overseen by the National Statistics Office. This change comes in response to alarmingly high parameters—reaching 79% in April 2025. A recent job survey indicated a cumulative monthly unemployment rate of 5.1% in India, encompassing all genders and demographic regions, both urban and rural. According to the inaugural job survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), India’s unemployment rate was recorded at 5.1% in April 2025, marking a pivotal enhancement in employment monitoring compared to the previous quarterly and annual assessments.
The Ministry has introduced a Period Labour Force Survey (PLFS) that provides real-time insights and aids in assessing the percentage of unemployed individuals. But how is this job survey carried out? Employing the Current Weekly Status (CWS) methodology, it utilizes data from the preceding week as its reference point, revealing a joblessness rate of 5.1% across all age demographics in April 2025. Notably, men experienced a marginally higher unemployment rate of 5.2%, while women’s unemployment stood at 5%, as reported by PTI.
The data further indicates that among youth aged 15 to 29, the unemployment rate is significantly higher at 13.8%. Women in this age bracket face an even steeper challenge, with an unemployment rate of 14.4%. Interestingly, the survey highlighted that urban centers reported a much higher unemployment rate of 17.2%, whereas rural areas recorded a lower rate of 12.3%. As for the overall unemployment figures, the gap between men and women was notable, standing at 14.4% nationally, with urban unemployment at 23.7% and rural at 10.7%. For men specifically, the jobless rate is reported at 13.6%, with urban rates approaching 15%.
Regarding the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), April 2025 saw a rate of 55.6% for individuals aged 15 and older. Rural regions exhibited a higher participation at 58%, contrasting with the 50.7% recorded in urban areas. Among males, the LFPR was noted at 79% in rural settings and 75.3% in urban areas, whereas female participation in rural regions was significantly lower at 38.2%. The LFPR is a measure of the portion of the population that is either employed, actively seeking employment, or available for work.
As part of these updates, India’s National Statistics Office is enhancing the Periodic Labour Force Survey by expanding quarterly assessments of the labor market. The survey’s sample size has been increased by 250% to include rural areas, and the reporting cycle has shifted to align with the calendar year. The first detailed report, encompassing data from both urban and rural regions, is anticipated for release in August.
