India's Unemployment Rate Sees Marginal Increase in December
New data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey reveals a slight uptick in India's unemployment rate for December. The overall joblessness rate for individuals aged 15 years and above edged up to 4.8% last month. This marks a small increase from the 4.7% recorded in November.
Rural and Urban Trends Show Divergence
The survey highlights distinct patterns between rural and urban areas. Rural unemployment remained steady at 3.9% during December. In contrast, urban centers experienced a rise, with the rate climbing to 6.7% from 6.5% in the previous month.
Breaking down the figures further, unemployment among rural males aged 15 and above stayed stable at 4.1%. For females in urban areas, there was a slight improvement. The joblessness rate moderated to 9.1% in December, down from 9.3% in November.
Labour Force Participation Rate Gains Momentum
On a positive note, the labour force participation rate continued its upward trend. The overall LFPR for the 15 and above age group increased to 56.1% in December. This compares favorably to the 55.8% seen in November.
Rural areas led this growth, with LFPR rising to 59% from 58.6%. Urban centers saw a minor dip, slipping to 50.2% from 50.4%. For females in this age group, the overall LFPR edged up to 35.3% from 35.1%.
In rural regions, female LFPR improved to 40.1% from 39.7%. Urban female participation experienced a slight decline, falling to 25.3% from 25.5%.
Worker Population Ratio Shows Mixed Results
The worker population ratio displayed gradual improvement overall. Among rural males, the WPR increased to 76% in December from 75.4% in November. However, urban males saw a decrease, with the ratio dropping to 70.4% from 70.9%.
This resulted in an overall male WPR of 74.1% for the month.
Understanding the PLFS Survey
The Periodic Labour Force Survey serves as the primary source for employment data in India. It provides estimates of key labour market indicators using the current weekly status method. These include the labour force participation rate, worker population ratio, and unemployment rate at the national level.
The latest figures offer valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of India's job market as we move into the new year.
