Women continued to face higher unemployment, with a rate of 5.3% compared to 5% for men.
Urban unemployment rate rose to 6.8% in March from 6.6% in February, while in rural areas it edged up slightly to 4.3% from 4.2%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
The data covers individuals aged 15 years and above who were unemployed but actively seeking work. It is based on the current weekly status (CWS), which measures employment or job-seeking activity over the seven days preceding the survey.
Youth unemployment (15-29 years) also rose, reaching 15.2% in March compared to 14.8% in February. Among young men, the rate increased notably to 14.3% from 13.7%, while for young women it inched up to 17.7% from 17.6%.
The survey covered 89,234 households and 375,262 individuals across rural and urban areas.
Labour force participation declines
The labour force participation rate (LFPR), the share of the population working or seeking work, remained broadly stable but slipped to a five-month low of 55.4% in March, slightly below 55.9% in February.Male participation dipped marginally to 77.4% from 77.5%, while female LFPR saw a sharper drop to 34.4% from 35.3%.
In urban areas, LFPR fell marginally to 50.3% in March from 50.4% in February, while in rural areas it declined to 58% from 58.7%.
Youth participation also weakened, with LFPR dropping to 41.6% in March from 42.1% the month before. Among young men, it fell to 60.9% from 61.2%, and among young women, it declined to 22.3% from 23.1%.
Meanwhile, the worker population ratio (WPR), or employment rate, decreased to 52.6% in March from 53.2% in February. Male and female WPR slipped to 73.6% and 32.6%, respectively.