India's job stats are now updated monthly, not yearly
India's job stats are now updated monthly, not yearly, thanks to a major upgrade to the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) in 2025.
This shift means fresher info on how people are working across cities and villages—so trends tied to harvests, festivals, or migration won't slip through the cracks.
How the survey works now
Instead of waiting months for updates, around 2.7 lakh households are now surveyed every year using a rotating panel.
Most households get checked in on multiple times over four months with shorter surveys in between.
This gives monthly numbers on who's working, who's looking for work, and other key employment rates—covering more places and giving sharper insights.
Spotting trends and making decisions
Monthly data helps spot job trends faster—like if certain regions need more training programs or if youth unemployment is rising somewhere specific.
Early results show the new system is reliable too (with errors under 5%), so decisions about jobs and skills can actually match what's happening on the ground.