New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The unemployment rate among persons aged 15 years and above in India declined in the October-December quarter, both in rural and urban areas, compared to the previous July-September quarter of 2025-26, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Tuesday.

The unemployment rate in rural areas declined to 4 per cent in October-December 2025, from 4.4 per cent in the previous quarter, driven by a reduction in UR for both rural male and female. The urban unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above decreased to 6.7 per cent as compared to 6.9 per cent reported in the previous quarter, driven by a decline in urban male UR from 6.2 per cent during July-September to 5.9 per cent in the current quarter, the official figures showed.

The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons aged 15 years and above increased to 55.8 per cent during October–December, compared to 55.1 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting the increased employment.

Female LFPR (15 years and above) recorded a notable rise to 34.9 per cent in October–December 2025, up from 33.7 per cent during July–September 2025.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR ) for persons aged 15 years and above, another indicator of employment, improved from 52.2 per cent in July–September 2025 to 53.1 per cent in October–December 2025.

The Rural WPR for persons aged 15 years and above continued to show a steady upward trend across both genders during April–June 2025 to October–December 2025.

Self-employment experienced a rise in both rural and urban areas. Self-employed persons of age 15 years and above in rural areas increased to 63.2 per cent during October- December, up from 62.8 per cent recorded in the previous quarter. In urban areas, self-employed persons of the same age group were reported as 39.7 per cent during the October-December quarter compared to 39.3 per cent during the previous quarter.

The agriculture sector continued to dominate rural employment, accounting for 58.5 per cent of employed persons aged 15 years and above during the quarter, up from 57.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

–IANS

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