India’s unemployment rate improved from the 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18 to 5.8% in 2018-19, says the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Thursday. The labour force participation rate also improved marginally, from 36.9% in 2017-18 to 37.5% in 2018-19. The labour force is defined as people who are working, or seeking work or available for work. Its participation rate is the percentage of the labour force in the population. The unemployment rate is the percentage of people without work within the labour force.
Last year, the official release of the PLFS report, showing the worst unemployment rate in 45 years, was delayed until the Lok Sabha election was over, though major details were leaked in January itself.
The report shows the dip came across all categories, though women and rural workers showed the most improvement.
Women’s unemployment fell from 5.7% to 5.2%, while male unemployment only fell from 6.2% to 6%. Urban unemployment was still at a high of 7.7% in 2018-19, a marginal drop from 7.8% in 2017-18, while rural unemployment fell from 5.3% to 5%.
