India’s labour market showed signs of resilience in the July–September 2025 quarter, as female workforce participation climbed and unemployment dipped—marking a cautiously optimistic shift driven by seasonal rural employment and modest urban job growth, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for individuals aged 15 and above edged up to 55.1%, from 55.0% in the previous quarter.Female LFPR rose to 33.7%, continuing its upward trend, largely due to increased participation in rural areas where it climbed from 37.0% to 37.5%.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) also improved slightly to 52.2%, with female WPR rising across rural, urban, and overall categories—indicating broader inclusion of women in the workforce.
The Unemployment Rate (UR) declined to 5.2%, down from 5.4%, driven primarily by a fall in rural unemployment to 4.4%, supported by seasonal Kharif agricultural operations and a rise in self-employment. Rural self-employment surged to 62.8%, up from 60.7%.Agricultural employment in rural India rose significantly, with the share of workers increasing from 53.5% to 57.7%.In urban areas, the tertiary sector remained dominant, engaging 62.0% of workers, up from 61.7%.Regular wage and salaried employment in urban areas also saw a modest rise, reaching 49.8%, compared to 49.4%—suggesting a slow but stable recovery in formal job creation.These trends are based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) framework, following a revamped PLFS methodology introduced in January 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates for both rural and urban India.The July–September 2025 bulletin is the second in the series to offer comprehensive rural-urban labour market insights.
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