ECONOMY
Unemployment rate in April hits a six-month high of 5.2%; LFPR dips marginally to 55%
- IBJ Bureau
- May 16, 2026
Unemployment rate among people aged 15 years and above hit a six-month high of 5.2 per cent in April, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released on Friday.
The previous high of 5.2 per cent joblessness was recorded in October 2025, according to the 13th monthly bulletin of PLFS for April 2026, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The unemployment rate remained broadly stable at 5.2 per cent in April 2026 compared to 5.1 per cent in March 2026 and April 2025.
Urban joblessness rate eased marginally to 6.6 per cent in April 2026 from 6.8 per cent in March 2026.
The figures for rural India increased slightly to 4.6 per cent from 4.3 per cent during the same period.
Unemployment rate among rural men was estimated at 4.4 per cent in March 2026 against 4.7 per cent in April 2026.
Joblessness rate among urban men, on the other hand, declined from 6.1 per cent to 5.9 per cent during the same period.
On a year-on-year basis, overall unemployment rate of men was lower by 0.1 percentage point.
Urban employment rate among women aged 15 years and above was recorded at 5.4 per cent in April 2026, compared to 5.3 per cent in March 2026 and 5 per cent in April 2025.
Joblessness rate among rural women stood at 4.1 per cent compared to 4.4 per cent over the month.
Unemployment rate for urban women declined from 9 per cent to 8.5 per cent.
Overall women’s unemployment rate in April 2026 was higher by 0.4 percentage points compared to the numbers in April 2025.
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for people aged 15 years and above was reported at 55 per cent in April 2026, compared to 55.4 per cent in March 2026.
The LFPR, a key economic indicator in measuring a country’s labour force (the total of working people and unemployed people looking for work) is the percentage of the working-age population (typically 15 to 64 years) that is either employed (the workforce) or actively looking for work.
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