Urban unemployment hits 7% in October, rural jobs see a boost

Business Nov 18, 2025

India's overall unemployment stayed steady at 5.2% in October 2024, but city joblessness ticked up to a three-month high of 7%.
Rural areas saw some good news—unemployment there dipped from 4.6% to 4.4%, helping balance out the national numbers.

More women join the workforce

The Labour Force Participation Rate climbed to a six-month high of 55.4%, driven by more women in rural India joining the workforce.
The female participation rate hit 34.2%, its best since May, and the Worker Population Ratio also nudged up for the fourth month in a row.

Gender trends: Small shifts, big impact

Male unemployment held steady at 5.1%, though urban men faced slightly higher joblessness at 6.1%.
Meanwhile, female unemployment dropped from 5.5% to 5.4%, mainly due to a decline in unemployment among rural women.