Unemployment Rate In India Rises To 5.1% In March Due To Urban Joblessness

Unemployment rate in the country rose to 5.1 percent in March compared to 4.9 percent in the previous month, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The slight uptick in joblessness came on the back of a rise in urban unemployment to 6.8 percent in March compared to 6.6 percent in February.

Unemployment in rural areas remained almost unchanged at 4.3 percent compared to 4.2 percent in the previous month.

Unemployment rate is measured by assessing the rate of joblessness among individuals aged over 15 years who do not have a job but are actively looking for one.

It is based on the current weekly status, that is, measuring the job-seeking activity in the preceding week.

The rate of unemployment among women stood higher at 5.3 percent during the month compared to that of men at 5 percent.

According to the survey, the overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) among people aged 15 years and above was estimated at 55.4 percent in March, a decline from 55.9 percent in February.

In rural areas, the LFPR stood at 58.0 percent in March, down from 58.7 percent in February. The urban LFPR was estimated at 50.3 percent in March, marginally down from 50.4 percent in February, the survey said.

LFPR is the percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking employment.

The worker population ratio (WPR) for those aged 15 years and above remained broadly stable in urban areas in March, the survey said.

WPR is the proportion of employed persons within a country’s total population.

The overall WPR was estimated at 52.6 percent, compared to 53.2 percent in February. In rural areas, the WPR stood at 55.5 percent in March as compared to 56.3 percent in February. The urban WPR also fell to 46.8 percent in March from 47 percent the previous month.