Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) Reports India Unemployment Rate at 4.9% in February 2026

Key facts

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data for February 2026.
• India’s overall unemployment rate eased to 4.9% in February from 5% in January, based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS).
• The female unemployment rate declined to 5.1% in February from 5.6% in January, while the male unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8%.
• Urban unemployment dropped to 6.6% from 7% in the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%.
• Youth unemployment in the 15-29 years age group rose slightly to 14.8% in February from 14.7% in January.
• The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) remained unchanged at 55.9%, with female LFPR increasing to 35.3% from 35.1%.
• The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), or employment rate, rose to 53.2% in February compared with 53.1% in January.
• The survey covered 89,333 households and 374,879 individuals across rural and urban areas to track employment activity.