National Statistics Office (NSO) records India's unemployment rate at 3.1% in 2025

Key facts

• The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that India's overall unemployment rate fell to 3.1% in 2025, the lowest level recorded in eight years.
• India aims to achieve full and productive employment by 2030 under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The national urban female unemployment rate declined from 10.8% in 2017-18 to 6.4% in 2025.
• States with the highest urban female unemployment in 2025 include Arunachal Pradesh (18.4%), Himachal Pradesh (18.3%), Bihar (16.8%), Nagaland (15.7%), and Rajasthan (14.6%).
• Urban female unemployment trends include Bihar (6.2% in 2017-18 to 16.8% last year), Rajasthan (9.9% to 14.6%), Himachal Pradesh (13.7% to 18.3%), Jharkhand (remained at 11.8%), and Assam (11.4% to 10.4%).
• Significant reductions in urban female unemployment were recorded in Kerala (27.5% to 6.7%), Maharashtra (11.5% to 3.8%), and Gujarat (4.3% to 1.5%).
• Odisha and Karnataka also made significant progress in reducing urban female unemployment.