India unemployment 5.2% in April 2026, rural rises, urban 6.6%
Business
India's unemployment rate ticked up to 5.2% in April 2026, the highest in six months, mainly because rural joblessness rose from 4.3% to 4.6%.
On the flip side, cities saw some relief, with urban unemployment dropping to a one-year low of 6.6%.
India female participation hits 8-month low
Urban women saw their jobless rate fall to 8.5%, and men's dropped slightly to 5.9%.
Still, nationwide female unemployment nudged up to 5.4%, and fewer people overall were working or looking for work—especially women, whose participation hit an eight-month low of just under 34%.