Latest news with #LabourForceParticipationRate
United News of India
4 days ago
- Business
- United News of India
Kerala CM to inaugurate Economics, Statistics department surveys
South Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 17 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the new surveys of the Department of Economics and Statistics here on August 25. From 2025–26 onwards, Kerala will participate in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), both conducted nationwide by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Union Ministry of Statistics. The government expects that participation in these surveys will help design and implement new schemes for the benefit of the state's youth and job seekers. The PLFS provides vital statistics on the labour sector, human resources, and workforce, including indicators such as the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and the Unemployment Rate. The ASUSE collects data on various economic features of enterprises in the unorganised non-agricultural sector engaged in production, trade, and services (excluding manufacturing). It covers aspects such as economic activities, employment generation, capital investment, and the use of digital technology in unorganised enterprises. Until now, NSO survey data were available only at the state level. With Kerala's participation, district-level statistics will also become accessible. This is expected to provide more accurate data for project planning, enable a better assessment of changing labour markets, and support the preparation of estimates for calculating district-level income. UNI DS ARN
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Joblessness steady at 5.6% in June, youth jobless rate still above 15%
NEW DELHI: The unemployment rate in the 15 years and above age group remained steady in June, while the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker Population Ratio (WPR) recorded a slight dip during the month, the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The monthly survey, released by the statistics office, revealed that the joblessness rate for those aged 15 and above stood at 5.6 per cent in June, unchanged from May. In urban areas, unemployment was higher at 7.1 per cent, while rural centres reported a lower rate of 4.9 per cent. Among males in rural and urban regions, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.6 per cent. For females, the rate was 5.6 per cent in June, marginally lower than May's 5.8 per cent. The unemployment rate for the 15-29 years age group rose slightly to 15.3 per cent in June from 15 per cent in May. Among females in this group, it rose to 17.4 per cent from 16.3 per cent, while for males it inched up to 14.7 per cent from 14.5 per cent. LFPR in the 15 years and above group stood at 54.2 per cent in June compared to 54.8 per cent in May. In rural areas, LFPR was 56.1 per cent, while in urban areas it was 50.4 per cent. WPR in rural areas for same age group was 53.3 per cent in June, while urban areas recorded 46.8 per cent. The overall WPR dropped to 51.2 per cent from May's 51.7 per cent. The statistics office attributed the marginal decline in LFPR and WPR to seasonal agricultural patterns, intense summer heat, and a shift of unpaid rural helpers, especially women, to domestic duties. It added that the share of rural female workers in agriculture fell to 69.8 per cent in June from 70.2 per cent in May. The rise in own-account work, likely driven by seasonal factors, also contributed to changes in employment dynamics. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now New Delhi: The unemployment rate in the 15 year and above age group remained steady in June while the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and worker population ratio (WPR) dipped slightly during the month, a monthly survey showed on Wednesday. The monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the statistics office showed the unemployment for those in the 15 years and above age bracket remained unchanged at 5.6 per cent in June, same as in May. The joblessness rate in urban areas was higher at 7.1 per cent compared to rural centres which was at 4.9 per cent. The unemployment rate in rural and urban areas among males was at 5.6 per cent in June, unchanged from May while among females it was at 5.6 per cent in June, marginally lower than the 5.8 per cent. The joblessness rate in the 15-29 years age group in June inched up to 15.3 per cent in June from 15 per cent in May. Among females, the unemployment rate within this age group was at 17.4 per cent in June, up from 16.3 per cent in May while among males was at 14.7 per cent during the month, a tad higher than the 14.5 per cent in May.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
India's unemployment rate remains steady in June at 5.6%, but LFPR slips as less people looked for jobs
Seasonal factors again weighed on India's labour market in June as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.6 per cent, although the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) declined to 54.2 per cent in June from 54.8 per cent in May, suggesting fewer people looked for jobs last month. According to the Statistics Ministry's latest monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report, released on Tuesday, while the unemployment rate (UR) for Indians aged 15 years and above was flat month-on-month in June at 5.6 per cent, there was a marginal decline in UR to 5.6 per cent from 5.8 per cent in May for females, while that for males remained at 5.6 per cent. The monthly jobs data is based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach. Under this approach, the activity status of a person is measured for the seven days preceding the date of survey. Although the headline unemployment number was steady, the figures for rural and urban areas moved in opposite directions. While rural unemployment declined by 20 basis points (bps) to 4.9 per cent in June, urban unemployment rose by 20 bps to 7.1 per cent for those aged 15 years and above. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the decrease in the unemployment rate among rural males and females in June was due to an increase in the share of own-account workers, with seasonal factors 'prompting individuals to engage in small-scale or self-initiated activities' such as petty trade, repair work, or services. Meanwhile, an increase in urban unemployment was particularly pronounced among the youth, with the jobless rate increasing to 18.8 per cent from 17.9 per cent in May for those in the 15-29 years age bracket. Female youth unemployment rose by 140 bps to 25.8 per cent, while for males the increase was 80 bps to 16.6 per cent. At an all-India level, youth unemployment rose by 30 bps to 15.3 per cent in June. Summer pangs While the all-India unemployment rate was steady at 5.6 per cent after posting a 50 bps increase in May, the LFPR declined for the second month in a row for most segments of the population in rural and urban areas. The biggest fall in LFPR was seen among young females in rural areas, for whom the ratio decreased by 240 bps to 20.5 per cent. The fall among males in rural areas in the 15-29 years age bracket was approximately half that, at 110 bps, as their LFPR declined to 62.0 per cent. The decline seen in the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) was similar: at an all-India level, the WPR declined by 50 bps to 51.2 per cent. The LFPR is the fraction of the population that is seeking or available for work, while the WPR is the percentage of employed persons in the population. According to MoSPI, the fall in LFPR and WPR in June was 'largely influenced by seasonal agricultural patterns, intense summer heat limiting outdoor physical work, and a shift of some unpaid helpers, particularly from higher-income rural households, towards domestic chores'. The June PLFS report is the third-ever monthly labour market data from the statistics ministry. Back in June, while detailing data for May, MoSPI had cautioned that a rise in the unemployment rate did not necessarily reflect 'secular trends' as changes were to be expected in the monthly data on account of increased frequency of the survey and seasonal, academic, and labour market factors. A total of 3.8 lakh persons were surveyed by MoSPI in June, roughly the same as in April and May. As part of the revamped survey design for the PLFS adopted in January, a rotational panel sampling design is being used. Under this, each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months. This ensures that three-fourths of first-stage sampling units, or FSUs, are matched between two consecutive months. Siddharth Upasani is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. He reports primarily on data and the economy, looking for trends and changes in the former which paint a picture of the latter. Before The Indian Express, he worked at Moneycontrol and financial newswire Informist (previously called Cogencis). Outside of work, sports, fantasy football, and graphic novels keep him busy. ... Read More
Indian Express
16-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Unemployment rate rises 50 bps to 5.6% in May due to seasonal factors
Seasonal factors drove up India's unemployment rate to 5.6 per cent in May from 5.1 per cent in April for persons aged 15 years and above, according to the statistics ministry's second-ever monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report, released on Monday. The increase in the unemployment rate was larger for females, for whom the ratio rose by 80 basis points (bps) from April to 5.8 per cent in May. For males, the unemployment rate increased to 5.6 per cent from 5.2 per cent. May saw a larger increase in the unemployment rate in rural areas to 5.1 per cent, up from 4.5 per cent in April, while the corresponding increase for urban India was 40 bps. However, the unemployment rate was higher in urban areas at 6.9 per cent. The monthly jobs data is based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach. Under this approach, the activity status of a person is measured for the seven days preceding the date of survey. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) cautioned that a rise in the unemployment rate in May did not necessarily reflect 'secular trends' as changes were to be expected in the monthly data on account of increased frequency of the survey and seasonal, academic, and labour market factors. While the Unemployment Rate (UR) rose in May, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) fell to 54.8 per cent from 55.6 per cent the previous month at the all-India level for those aged 15 years and above. The LFPR for males declined by 40 bps to 77.2 per cent, while that for females fell by 100 bps to 33.2 per cent. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), meanwhile, fell to 51.7 per cent from 52.8 per cent in April for persons aged 15 years and above. While the LFPR is the fraction of the population that is seeking or available for work, the WPR is the percentage of employed persons in the population. 'The decline in LFPR and WPR and the rise in UR were driven largely by seasonal agricultural patterns, higher summer temperature experienced in May in some parts of the country due to which physical outdoor work gets limited and movement of some unpaid helpers to domestic chores, especially in the higher income (top 3 decile) rural households,' MoSPI said in a statement. In rural areas, the LFPR fell by 110 bps to 56.9 per cent, with the decline in urban areas being smaller at 30 bps to 50.4 per cent, the data showed. The rural WPR declined similarly by 130 bps to 54.1 per cent in May for persons aged 15 years and above, while the urban WPR was down 50 bps at 46.9 per cent. The statistics ministry said the reduction in agricultural activities with the end of the rabi harvest season in the rural areas 'may have brought about the downward shift in number of workers', adding that employment in rural areas shifted away from agriculture (from 45.9 per cent in April to 43.5 per cent in May) to secondary and services sectors. Within the overall data, the segment to see the biggest increase in unemployment in May were young women in rural areas. In May, the unemployment rate for rural females in the 15-29 age bracket rose to 13 per cent from 10.7 per cent in April, with the corresponding increase for their urban counterparts being 70 bps to 24.4 per cent. For young males, the rise in unemployment was significantly smaller: from 13 per cent in April to 14 per cent in May in rural areas and from 15 per cent in April to 15.8 per cent in May in urban areas. On the whole, the unemployment rate for all persons aged 15-29 years rose 120 bps in May to 15.0 per cent at the all-India level. A total of 3.8 lakh persons were surveyed in May, roughly the same as in April. As part of the revamped survey design for the PLFS adopted in January, a rotational panel sampling design is being used. As part of this design, each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months. This ensures that three-fourths of first-stage sampling units, or FSUs, are matched between two consecutive months. Siddharth Upasani is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. He reports primarily on data and the economy, looking for trends and changes in the former which paint a picture of the latter. Before The Indian Express, he worked at Moneycontrol and financial newswire Informist (previously called Cogencis). Outside of work, sports, fantasy football, and graphic novels keep him busy. ... Read More
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: What are key highlights of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and why is it UPSC essential
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: UPSC has asked questions on labour productivity and unemployment. Understanding the associated terms with PLFS becomes important for your Prelims and Mains examination.) Given the growing demand for more frequent data about the labour market and enhancing the scope, relevance, and coverage of the surveys, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has come up with the first monthly bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). 1. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under MoSPI had launched PLFS in April 2017. Quarterly bulletins provide details of labour force indicators such as Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR). In 2019, NSSO was merged with the Central Statistical Office (CSO) to form the NSO. 2. Earlier, the MoSPI released rural PLFS data on an annual basis and urban PLFS data on a quarterly basis, along with an annual report that combines data for both urban and rural on an annual basis. 3. The first monthly estimates, published by the National Statistical Office (NSO), are based on the current weekly status (CWS) approach, which measures the activity status of persons surveyed based on the reference period of the last seven days preceding the date of survey. 4. Basically, PLFS collects data in two ways — Usual Status (US) and Current Weekly Status (CWS). Broadly speaking, within the usual status, the survey respondent has to recall their employment details from the last one year, while in the CWS, the respondent has to recall the details over the past one week. 5. According to the CWS approach, the estimate of the labour force is derived by considering those who worked for at least 1 hour or was seeking/ available for work for at least 1 hour on any day during the 7 days preceding the date of survey. 1. India's unemployment rate stood at 5.1 per cent in April for persons aged 15 years and above, with the rate for males at 5.2 per cent and for females at 5.0 per cent. In urban areas, the unemployment rate stood at 6.5 per cent, while in rural areas, the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above was recorded to be 4.5 per cent. 2. Females saw a higher unemployment rate at 8.7 per cent than 5.8 per cent for males in urban areas. In rural areas, however, the unemployment rate for females was lower at 3.9 per cent than 4.9 per cent for males in April. 3. The Labour Force Participation Rate for persons aged 15 years and above in the country stood at 55.6 per cent in April, with the rate for urban areas at 50.7 per cent and for rural areas at 58.0 per cent. The gender-wise split showed the low labour force participation rate of females at 34.2 per cent as against 77.7 per cent for males. 4. The female LFPR was lower for urban areas at 25.7 per cent than 38.2 per cent in rural areas for the age group 15 years and above. In comparison, the male LFPR stood at 75.3 per cent in urban areas and 79.0 per cent in rural areas. 5. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which indicates the employment rate, was recorded at 52.8 per cent for persons of age 15 years and above in April. The WPR for persons aged 15 years and above stood at 47.4 per cent in urban areas and 55.4 per cent in rural areas. 6. As per the gender-wise breakup, WPR for females was 23.5 per cent in urban areas and 36.8 per cent in rural areas. For males, the WPR stood at 71 per cent in urban areas and 75.1 per cent in rural areas. (Note: These data are not for you to memorize it but to create a broader understanding. For example, the difference between the unemployment rate in rural and urban areas indicates the job creation pressures in the urban areas. The higher unemployment for females in urban areas could be due to (a) higher female preferences for education in urban areas than rural areas and (b) lower employment opportunities in urban areas than rural areas for females.) 📍The PLFS also tells the sectoral distribution of workers in the economy — what percentage is involved in agriculture, for instance. It also records the type of work people do — for instance, how many are engaged in casual labour, how many work for themselves, and how many have regular salaried jobs. 1. Employed: According to MoSPI, following the usual status approach (with a reference period of 365 days) adopted by NSSO a person in the labour force is considered as working or employed if he/she is engaged relatively for a longer time, during the reference period of last 365 days in any one or more of the work activities. 2. Unemployment Rate (UR): Unemployment refers to the condition where individuals capable of working are actively seeking employment but are unable to secure suitable jobs. An unemployed person, then, is someone who is part of the labor force, possesses the requisite skills, but currently lacks gainful employment. The unemployment in the country is commonly calculated using the formula: Unemployment rate = [Number of Unemployed Workers / Total Labour Force] x 100. Here, the 'total labour force' includes the employed and the unemployed. Those who are neither employed nor unemployed — students, for example— are not considered a part of the labour force. 3. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Labour force participation rate refers to the part of the population that supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and therefore, includes both 'employed' and 'unemployed' persons. Under the CWS approach, labour force refers to the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week before the date of the survey. LFPR is defined as the number of persons/ person-days in the labour force per 1000 persons /person-days. 4. Worker Population Rate (WPR): Under the CWS, the WPR refers to the number of persons who worked for at least one hour on any day during the days preceding the date of the survey. According to MoSPI, it is defined as the number of persons/person-days employed per 1000 persons/person-days. 5. Work Force: According to MoSPI, 'Persons engaged in any gainful activity are considered 'workers' (or employed). They are the persons assigned any one or more of the nine activity categories under the first broad activity category i.e. 'working or employed'.' Consider the following statements about the PLFS: 1. The NSO has published the first monthly PLFS following the Usual Status (US) approach. 2. The MoSPI had launched the first PLFS in April 2017. 3. Under the CWS, the WPR refers to the number of persons who worked for at least one hour on any day during the days preceding the date of survey. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
