Government releases Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data for January-March 2026

Key facts

• India's urban unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above decreased to 6.6% in the January-March 2026 quarter, while the rural unemployment rate increased to 4.3%.
• The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons aged 15 years and above stood at 55.5% during the January-March 2026 quarter.
• The overall female LFPR for the January-March quarter was 34.7%, with rural female LFPR at 39.2% and urban female LFPR at 25.4%.
• The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons aged 15 years and above was 52.8% during the quarter, with urban WPR at 46.9% and rural WPR at 55.7%.
• An average of 57.4 crore persons aged 15 years and above were employed in India during the January-March 2026 quarter, comprising 40.2 crore males and 17.2 crore females.