The unemployment rate for all ages in urban areas rose to 9.3 percent in January-March 2021 from 9.1 percent in the same month of the previous year, showed a periodic labour force survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO). Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.

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The UR for CWS (current weekly status) in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above was 10.3 percent in October-December 2020, the ninth Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed. It also showed that the unemployment rate among females in urban areas (age 15 and above) rose to 11.8 percent in January-March 2021 from 10.6 percent a year ago. It was 13.1 percent in October-December 2020.

Among males, the UR in the urban area (age 15 years and above) remained flat at 8.6 percent in January-March 2021 compared to a year ago. It was 9.5 percent in October-December 2020 Labour force participation rate in CWS (current weekly status) in urban areas for persons of 15 years of age and above was 47.5 percent in the January-March quarter of 2021, down from 48.1 percent in the same period a year ago. It was 47.3 percent in October-December 2020.

Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons.

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NSO launched PLFS in April 2017. On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely UR, Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in Current Weekly Status (CWS). The estimates of unemployed persons in CWS give an average picture of unemployment in a short period of seven days during the survey period.

In the CWS approach, a person is considered unemployed if he/she did not work even for one hour on any day during the week but sought or was available for work at least for one hour on any day during the period. The Labour force according to CWS is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week preceding the date of the survey. LFPR is defined as the percentage of the population in the labour force.

WPR (in percent) in CWS in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above stood at 43.1 percent in January-March 2021, down from 43.7 percent in the same period a year ago. It was 42.4 percent in October-December 2020. Nine bulletins of PLFS corresponding to quarters ended December 2018, March 2019, June 2019, September 2019, December 2019, March 2020, June 2020, September 2020 and December 2020 have already been released. The latest bulletin is the tenth in the series.

First Published:Nov 30, 2021 7:40 PM IST