Joblessness steady at 5.6% in June, youth jobless rate still above 15%

NEW DELHI: The unemployment rate in the 15 years and above age group remained steady in June, while the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker Population Ratio (WPR) recorded a slight dip during the month, the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed on Wednesday.The monthly survey, released by the statistics office, revealed that the joblessness rate for those aged 15 and above stood at 5.6 per cent in June, unchanged from May. In urban areas, unemployment was higher at 7.1 per cent, while rural centres reported a lower rate of 4.9 per cent. Among males in rural and urban regions, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.6 per cent. For females, the rate was 5.6 per cent in June, marginally lower than May's 5.8 per cent.The unemployment rate for the 15-29 years age group rose slightly to 15.3 per cent in June from 15 per cent in May. Among females in this group, it rose to 17.4 per cent from 16.3 per cent, while for males it inched up to 14.7 per cent from 14.5 per cent.

LFPR in the 15 years and above group stood at 54.2 per cent in June compared to 54.8 per cent in May. In rural areas, LFPR was 56.1 per cent, while in urban areas it was 50.4 per cent. WPR in rural areas for same age group was 53.3 per cent in June, while urban areas recorded 46.8 per cent.

The overall WPR dropped to 51.2 per cent from May's 51.7 per cent.The statistics office attributed the marginal decline in LFPR and WPR to seasonal agricultural patterns, intense summer heat, and a shift of unpaid rural helpers, especially women, to domestic duties. It added that the share of rural female workers in agriculture fell to 69.8 per cent in June from 70.2 per cent in May. The rise in own-account work, likely driven by seasonal factors, also contributed to changes in employment dynamics.New Delhi: The unemployment rate in the 15 year and above age group remained steady in June while the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and worker population ratio (WPR) dipped slightly during the month, a monthly survey showed on Wednesday.The monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the statistics office showed the unemployment for those in the 15 years and above age bracket remained unchanged at 5.6 per cent in June, same as in May.The joblessness rate in urban areas was higher at 7.1 per cent compared to rural centres which was at 4.9 per cent. The unemployment rate in rural and urban areas among males was at 5.6 per cent in June, unchanged from May while among females it was at 5.6 per cent in June, marginally lower than the 5.8 per cent.The joblessness rate in the 15-29 years age group in June inched up to 15.3 per cent in June from 15 per cent in May. Among females, the unemployment rate within this age group was at 17.4 per cent in June, up from 16.3 per cent in May while among males was at 14.7 per cent during the month, a tad higher than the 14.5 per cent in May.