New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The urban female unemployment rate, for the 15+ years age group, declined to 8.5 per cent in April this year, the lowest level recorded since April, 2025, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Statistics on Friday.

The overall urban workers participation rate (WPR), for those above 15 years, which is an indicator of employment, remained unchanged at 46.8 per cent in April 2026 compared to the previous month, the data further showed.

The overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) in the country, which is another indicator of employment, stood at 55.0 per cent in April compared to 55.4 per cent in March 2026, according to the data.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), is the primary source of data on activity participation and employment and unemployment conditions of the population. The PLFS survey methodology has been modified from January 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators for the country.

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 earlier this week.

Overall Unemployment Rate (UR) in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above exhibited a declining trend at 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, the 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.

–IANS

sps/vd