Urban women unemployment falls to one-year low of 8.5% in April

The unemployment rate in urban areas eased slightly in April to 6.6%, while the joblessness rate among urban women fell to a one-year low of 8.5%, government data showed on Friday.

The latest Monthly Bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released by the National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, showed that the overall unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above remained largely stable at 5.2% in April 2026, compared with 5.1% in March 2026 and April 2025.

The urban unemployment rate declined from 6.8% in March to 6.6% in April, while the rural unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.6% from 4.3%.

The unemployment rate among urban women dropped to 8.5% in April from 9.0% in March, the lowest level recorded since April 2025, the bulletin said.

At the all-India level, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) for people aged 15 years and above stood at 55% in April, down from 55.4% in March and 55.6% a year earlier.

Female labour force participation also moderated, with the LFPR for women aged 15 years and above estimated at 33.9% in April, compared with 34.4% in March and 34.2% in April 2025.

The worker population ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of employed persons in the population, was estimated at 52.2% in April, lower than 52.6% in March and 52.8% a year ago.

In urban areas, the WPR remained unchanged at 46.8% in April, maintaining the same level as in March.

The PLFS is India’s primary survey for measuring employment and unemployment conditions.