The country’s unemployment rate is 5% in September, stable compared to August: NSO

The overall labor force participation rate (LFPR) for those aged 15 and over remained at 55.5% in September, compared with 55.6% in August. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The country’s unemployment rate (UR) stood at 5% in September, stable compared to August, according to the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation said here on Thursday that the rural UR remained “broadly stable” at 4.2% from 4.1% in August, while the urban UR rose marginally from 6.8% in August to 6.9% this month. “Compared to September 2025, the overall UR rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to reach 5% in September 2026. The rural UR decreased by 0.4 percentage points from 4.6% in September 2025 to 4.2% in September 2026. The UR in urban areas remained essentially stable from 2028% in September in September 2025,” the ministry said.

For women, the overall UR remained at 5.2%, up from 5.1% in August. Rural women’s RH reached 3.9%, the lowest level in 2026 according to the government, while urban women’s RH increased slightly from 8.9% to 9.2%. The government said the unemployment rate for both sexes decreased year-on-year. The PLFS is the primary source of data on labor force participation and employment and unemployment conditions. At the all-India level, the monthly estimates are based on information collected from 3,70,513 respondents.

The overall labor force participation rate (LFPR) for those aged 15 and over remained at 55.5% in September, compared with 55.6% in August. “In rural areas, the LFPR was recorded at 58% against 58.2% in August 2026, while the urban LFPR saw a slight increase of 0.3 percentage points, from 50.4% in August 2026 to 50.7% in September 2026,” the ministry said. Compared to September 2025, the overall LFPR increased by 0.2 percentage points, from 55.3% to 55.5%. The rural LFPR increased by 0.6 percentage points in one year, from 57.4% to 58%, while the urban LFPR saw a marginal decrease of 0.2 percentage points, from 50.9% to 50.7%. The overall female LFPR stood at 34.6% in September 2026, compared to 34.8% in August 2026. “The urban female LFPR registered a notable month-on-month increase of 0.5 percentage points, increasing from 25.4% to 25.9%, reaching the highest level since September 2025. 39.4% in the previous month,” the report added. The overall female LFPR increased by 0.5 percentage points, from 34.1% in September 2025 to 34.6% in September 2026.

The overall working population ratio (WPR) remained at 52.7% in September 2026 compared to 52.8% in August 2026. The overall WPR increased by 0.3 percentage points from 52.4% in September 2025 to 52.7% in September 2026.

Published – 15 Oct 2026 23:04 IST