Unemployment rate at 5.1% in April, youth joblessness hits 13.8%: Govt’s first monthly data

The Centre unveiled its inaugural monthly labour force and unemployment figures on Thursday, signaling a move towards real-time employment tracking. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the national unemployment rate (UR) reached 5.1% in April 2025 for individuals aged 15 and above, with a slightly higher rate for men (5.2%) compared to women (5.0%).

This new monthly data, gathered through the Current Weekly Status (CWS) metric of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), aims to offer quicker and more detailed insights into India’s job market. Previously, the labour force survey was only published on a quarterly and annual basis.

Youth unemployment, ages 15-29, was recorded at 13.8% nationwide. Urban areas reported an unemployment rate of 17.2%, while rural areas stood at 12.3%.

Joblessness among those in the age group of 15-29 was 13.8 per cent across the country. The rate of unemployment in urban areas stood at 17.2 per cent, while it was 12.3 per cent in rural areas.

CWS, which stands for current weekly status, is determined based on the activity level in the last seven days preceding the survey date.

According to the study, the unemployment rate (UR) for women aged 15-29 was 14.4% nationwide, with a rate of 23.7% in urban areas and 10.7% in rural areas.

For men in the same age group, the joblessness rate was 13.6% nationwide, with a rate of 15% in cities and 13% in villages.

In April, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India stood at 55.6% nationwide. Rural areas exhibited a higher engagement in the labour force, with an LFPR of 58.0%, in contrast to 50.7% in urban regions.

For men, the LFPR remained robust in both rural and urban settings, at 79.0% and 75.3% respectively. However, women faced a significant disparity with a lower LFPR. In rural India, the female LFPR was 38.2%, highlighting the prevalent reliance on informal and unpaid work, particularly in agricultural households.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), indicating the proportion of employed individuals among the working-age population, was recorded at 52.8% across the country. The WPR was higher in rural areas at 55.4% compared to 47.4% in urban areas.

Gender disparities were evident in the WPR figures as well. Whilst rural women had a WPR of 36.8%, only 23.5% of urban women aged 15 and above were engaged in employment. The total female WPR for India in April was 32.5%.