India's urban unemployment rate remained steady at 6.4 pc in the third quarter of the current financial year, showing no change from the previous quarter.
However, this figure represents a slight decline from the 6.5 pc recorded in the same period last year. The latest data, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), provides insights into employment trends across urban areas.
The labour force participation rate, which includes individuals working or actively seeking employment, also remained stable at 50.4 pc during the October-December 2024 period. This is a marginal increase from the 49.9 pc recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.
One of the notable findings of the survey is the decline in the female unemployment rate, which dropped to an all-time low of 8.1 pc during the quarter. This marks a significant improvement in women's employment levels, reflecting positive trends in workforce participation.
On the other hand, the male unemployment rate witnessed a slight increase, rising from 5.7 pc in the previous quarter to 5.8 pc in the October-December period.
Among the 22 states and union territories covered in the survey, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest unemployment rate at 13.1 pc.
It was followed by Himachal Pradesh, which reported a joblessness rate of 10.4 pc, and Rajasthan, where unemployment stood at 9.7 pc. These figures indicate varying employment challenges across different regions of the country.
The survey covered a total of 45,074 urban households and assessed employment data from 1,70,487 individuals. The findings revealed that the male labour force participation rate reached a record high of 75.4% in the October-December period, highlighting strong engagement in economic activities.
Meanwhile, the female labour force participation rate, which has consistently remained above 25% for the past five quarters, slightly declined to 25.2 pc from 25.5 pc in the previous quarter.
In terms of employment patterns, nearly half of the urban workforce was engaged in regular wage or salaried employment. Self-employed individuals constituted 39.9 pc of the workforce, while 10.7 pc were involved in casual labour.
Within the self-employed category, 32.8 pc were own-account workers or employers, while 6 pc worked as helpers in household enterprises.
A closer look at gender-based employment trends shows that over half of all employed women were in regular wage or salaried jobs. In contrast, among men, 47.7 pc held similar positions.
The data highlights the growing participation of women in formal employment, indicating a shift towards more stable job opportunities.
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