Unemployment Marginally Dips to 4.9% in February: Government Survey

PTI, Mar 16, 2026, New Delhi : Overall unemployment among persons aged 15 years and above fell marginally to 4.9 per cent in February from 5 per cent in January this year, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released on Monday.

After an increase in January 2026, the urban unemployment rate (UR) among persons aged 15 years and above declined to 6.6 per cent in February 2026, falling below the December 2025 level (6.7%), the survey stated. Rural UR remained unchanged at 4.2 per cent in February 2026.

In February 2026, the overall unemployment rate among females aged 15 years and above declined to 5.1 per cent, compared to 5.6 per cent in January 2026. Decline was observed in both rural and urban areas. The urban female UR decreased from 9.8 per cent in January 2026 to 8.7 per cent in February 2026, while the rural female UR declined from 4.3 per cent to 4.0 per cent during the same period.

The overall male UR remained stable at 4.8 per cent.

The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) among persons of age 15 years and above remained unchanged at 55.9 per cent in February 2026, the same as recorded in January 2026. In rural areas, the LFPR stood at 58.7 per cent in February 2026. The urban LFPR was estimated at 50.4 per cent in February 2026, showing a marginal increase from 50.3 per cent recorded in January 2026.

The overall female LFPR in the age group 15 years and above increased marginally from 35.1 per cent in January 2026 to 35.3 per cent in February 2026. In rural areas, the female LFPR rose from 39.7 per cent in January 2026 to 40.0 per cent in February 2026, indicating an improvement in rural female participation, whereas the urban female LFPR remained unchanged at 25.5 per cent during the same period.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in the age group 15 years and above remained broadly stable in both rural and urban areas in February 2026. The overall WPR was estimated at 53.2 per cent in February 2026, in comparison to 53.1 per cent in January 2026. In rural areas, WPR stood at 56.3 per cent in February 2026. Similarly, the urban WPR was 47.0 per cent in February 2026, compared with 46.8 per cent in January 2026.

At the all-India level, the monthly estimates are based on information collected from a total of 3,74,879 persons surveyed.

The PLFS, conducted by the National Statistics Office, is the primary source of data on activity participation and employment and unemployment conditions of the population. The PLFS survey methodology has been modified from January 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators for the country.