India's unemployment rate falls to 5.1% in August
What's the story
India's unemployment rate has dropped to 5.1% in August, according to government data released today. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) shows a steady decline from 5.6% in June and 5.2% in July, indicating a recovery trend in the labor market.
Men
Male unemployment rate drops to 5-month low
The PLFS report also highlights a significant drop in the male unemployment rate, which fell to a five-month low of 5.0% in August. This decline was mainly due to a decrease in urban male unemployment from 6.6% in July to 5.9% this month and rural male unemployment dropping to 4.5%, its lowest level in five months.
Rural recovery
Rural unemployment rate declines to 4.3%
The PLFS data shows that the overall rural unemployment rate has been on a downward trend for three consecutive months, from 5.1% in May to 4.3% in August. This indicates an improvement in employment opportunities in rural areas of India over the past few months.
Gender inclusion
Increase in female workforce participation
The report highlights a steady increase in female workforce participation over the past two months. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) among females rose from 30.2% in June to 32.0% in August, according to the bulletin. This jump was seen across rural and urban areas, with rural WPR rising from 33.6% in June to 35.9% in August and urban WPR increasing from 22.9% to 23.8%.
Participation boost
Overall labor force participation increases
The overall labor force participation rate in the survey increased from 54.2% in June to 55% in August. The calculations are based on a survey of 3,76,839 persons in rural areas and 2,15,895 in urban places, covering a total of 5,92,734 individuals. This data was collected by MoSPI as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor employment trends across India.