India's unemployment stays at 5.2% in October
What's the story
India's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.2% in October, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The data also revealed a slight increase in urban joblessness to a three-month high of 7%, up from September's 6.8%. Rural unemployment, on the other hand, witnessed a decline to 4.4% from last month's 4.6%.
Participation surge
Labour force participation reaches 6-month high
Despite the mixed unemployment figures, the labor market showed signs of resilience with a rise in labor force participation. It hit a six-month high of 55.4%, while the worker population ratio increased to 52.5%, marking four consecutive months of growth. This upward trend was largely driven by rural women whose employment indicators continued to improve throughout October.
Gender disparities
Female unemployment sees mixed trends
The survey also highlighted gender disparities in unemployment rates. Female unemployment slightly decreased to 5.4%, with rural female joblessness dropping to 4%. However, urban female unemployment rose sharply to a seven-month high of 9.7%. Male unemployment remained stable at 5.1%, as a slight decline in rural male joblessness balanced out a marginal increase in urban areas.