Unemployment rate up a tad to 5% in January, higher rise for females

New Delhi: India’s unemployment rate increased slightly to 5% in January from 4.8% in December last year, with joblessness rising more sharply among women than men, official data released on Monday showed.

Female unemployment rate increased to 5.6% in January from 4.9% in the previous month, while the male rate went up marginally to 4.8% from 4.7%.

The overall jobless rate in rural areas edged up to 4.2% in January from 3.9% a month earlier, and urban unemployment rose to 7% from 6.7%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).

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 to 14.7% in January from 14.4% in December 2025, driven mainly by an increase in female joblessness even as the male youth unemployment rate fell.

The survey covered 89,312 households and 374,158 people across rural and urban areas.

Fall in participation

The labour force participation rate (LFPR), the share of population working or seeking work, fell to 55.9% in January from 56.1% a month ago. Male and female LFPR fell to 77.6% and 35.1%, respectively. In rural areas, LFPR slipped to 58.7% in January from 59% in the previous month, while in urban areas it increased marginally to 50.3% from 50.2%.