Female unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in February from 5.6% a month earlier, while the male unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8%.
The overall jobless rate in urban areas dropped to 6.6% in February from 7% in January, while rural unemployment held steady at 4.2%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
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“February 2026 marked a strong recovery for the urban job market with more women working and unemployment rates dropping sharply across both rural and urban sectors,” the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) said in a statement.
The data covers individuals aged 15 years and above who were unemployed but actively seeking work. The figures are based on the current weekly status (CWS), which tracks employment or job-seeking activity in the seven days preceding the survey.
Youth unemployment (15-29 years) rose slightly to 14.8% in February from 14.7% in January, mainly due to higher joblessness among young men, even as the female youth unemployment rate declined.CCI plans to check abuse in AI space
The survey covered 89,333 households and 374,879 individuals across rural and urban areas.
Labour force participation steady
The labour force participation rate (LFPR), the share of population working or seeking work, remained unchanged at 55.9% in February. Male LFPR slipped marginally to 77.5% from 77.6% in January, while female LFPR increased to 35.3% from 35.1%.
In urban areas, LFPR inched marginally to 50.4% in February from 50.3% in January, while it stayed unchanged at 58.7% in rural areas.
Youth participation showed a slight decline, with LFPR dropping to 42.1% in February from 42.3% in January. Male youth participation fell to 61.2% from 61.3%, and the female rate declined to 23.1% from 23.2%.
Meanwhile, the worker population ratio (WPR), or employment rate, rose to 53.2% in February compared with 53.1% in January. Male WPR slipped to 73.8%, while the rate for females increased to 33.4%.