Now Reading: India urban joblessness ticks up, labour participation hits five-quarter low
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India urban joblessness ticks up, labour participation hits five-quarter low
India urban joblessness ticks up, labour participation hits five-quarter low
India's urban unemployment rate inched up to 6.7 per cent in April-June from 6.6 per cent in the previous quarter, while rural unemployment rose to 4.8 per cent from 4.3 per cent,…
The Story in Brief
India's urban unemployment rate inched up to 6.7 per cent in April-June from 6.6 per cent in the previous quarter, while rural unemployment rose to 4.8 per cent from 4.3 per cent, the Ministry of Statistics said on Monday, citing the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey. The overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) fell to 54.6 per cent, a five-quarter low, from 55.5 per cent, with female participation dropping sharply to 33.2 per cent from 34.7 per cent. The worker population ratio also slipped to 51.7 per cent from 52.8 per cent.
The data, based on a survey of 5.6 lakh people, showed a shift away from agriculture in rural areas: farm employment's share fell to 52.9 per cent from 55.8 per cent, while regular wage work inched up. Urban female unemployment improved to 8.7 per cent from 9.1 per cent. On average, 56.6 crore people aged 15 and above were employed in the quarter, including 16.4 crore women.
The Indian Opinion
The headline story is lower participation, not higher unemployment, yet many will cry job crisis. The dip in LFPR, especially among women, may reflect people leaving the workforce in frustration, but also a shift towards regular wage jobs and away from agriculture, which some call structural change. The real test: will next quarter’s female LFPR fall further, or will this quarter prove a blip as surveys settle? A 1.5 percentage-point drop in one quarter demands explanation, not assumption.
Source: rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
