Period Labour Force Survey (PLFS)

Period Labour Force Survey (PLFS): Recently, India’s unemployment rate for those aged 15 and above rose to 5.6% in May 2025, up from 5.1% in April, according to the MoSPI under its revamped Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).

• About PLFS : a comprehensive household survey, to gather detailed information on various aspects of employment and labour force dynamics in the country.

o Conducted by:  The National Statistical Office (NSO) under MoSPI.

o   Objective: Estimate key employment and unemployment indicators—Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR)—for urban areas quarterly using the Current Weekly Status (CWS), and annually for both rural and urban areas using both Usual Status (principal + subsidiary status) and CWS..

• Key Highlights: Female UR rose by 80 bps to 5.8% → Male UR rose to 5.6% from 5.2%.

     → Rural UR increased to 5.1% (from 4.5%)                  → Urban UR stood at 6.9% (↑ 40 bps).

     → Worker Population Ratio (WPR) Dropped to 51.7% in May from 52.8% in April.