India’s Jobless Rate Falls to 5.2%: Urban Salaried Jobs Rise, But Youth Unemployment Still High

Описание: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released its latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data for July–September 2025, offering a mixed snapshot of India’s labour market.

Unemployment has declined to 5.2% (from 5.4% in April–June), signaling gradual recovery — yet challenges remain, especially for youth and women.

📊 Key Highlights of PLFS Q2 (2025–26)

1. Overall Unemployment Rate:

All-India: 5.2% (down from 5.4%)

Urban: 6.9% (up slightly by 0.1%)

Rural: Improvement driven by Kharif season farm work.

2. Salaried Jobs Rising in Cities:

Urban salaried employment rose to 49.8% (from 49.4%).

For men, salaried jobs rose by 0.5% to 48%.

For women, it rose by 0.4% to 55.5%.

Salaried jobs are considered better quality employment due to stability and social security.

3. Rural Employment Shift:

Rural salaried jobs declined to 15% (from 15.4%).

Agriculture employment rose sharply from 53.5% → 57.7%, largely due to Kharif season operations.

Among rural women, farm jobs now account for 74.2% of employment.

4. Youth Unemployment — Still a Concern:

Youth (15–29 years) joblessness increased to 14.8% (from 14.6%).

In urban areas, it rose to 18.4%, with:

Young men at 16.2% (up 0.4%)

Young women at 25.3% (up 0.6%)

5. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):

Urban LFPR increased slightly to 50.7%.
Female LFPR improved marginally to 25.8%, still one-third of male LFPR (75.3%).
Agriculture and Rural Dependence

With over 57% of rural jobs now in agriculture, India’s job market remains vulnerable to monsoon and crop cycles.
While Kharif operations temporarily absorb labour, long-term rural job creation remains a challenge.

⚙️ Urban India: Shifting Toward Salaried Work

The steady rise in salaried and formal jobs reflects urban resilience — supported by service-sector recovery, manufacturing growth, and gig economy expansion.
However, urban unemployment (6.9%) and youth joblessness (18.4%) highlight the need for sustainable, high-skill employment.

#indiajobs #unemploymentrate #PLFS2025 #LabourData #employmenttrends #indianeconomy #jobmarket #UrbanEmployment #RuralJobs #youthunemployment #MoSPI #LabourForceParticipation #indiaeconomy #DataExplained #economicgrowth