New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) There was a decline in urban unemployment during the January-March quarter of the current year, along with an increase in rural employment in both the secondary and tertiary sectors, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics on Monday.

Overall unemployment rate (UR) in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above exhibited a declining trend 6.6 per cent during the quarter January-March 2026 compared to 6.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

In rural areas, regular wage and salaried employees showed an upward movement, up to 15.5 per cent during January-March from 14.8 per cent of the previous quarter.

In rural areas, share of regular wage and salaried workers witnessed a modest rise during January-March. There has also been an increase in rural employment in both the secondary and tertiary sectors. The sectoral distribution of employment continues to exhibit a similar structural pattern, with the rural workforce predominantly engaged in the primary sector and the urban workforce concentrated in the tertiary sector.

In rural areas, the share of workers engaged in agriculture stood at 55.8 per cent during January–March 2026, marking a decline from 58.5 per cent in the previous quarter whereas share of employment in the tertiary sector increased from 20.6 per cent in October–December, 2025 to 21.7 per cent in the current quarter, the statement said.

The secondary sector along with mining and quarrying in rural areas also witnessed a rise from 20.9 per cent in the previous quarter to 22.6 per cent in the current quarter. In urban areas, the sectoral distribution of workers remained largely stable, the statement explained.

On average, 57.4 crore persons aged 15 years and above were employed in the country during the quarter January-March of which 40.2 crore were male and 17.2 crore were female. At the all-India level, the quarterly estimates are based on information collected from a total of 5,61,822 persons surveyed.

–IANS

sps/na