India’s unemployment rate among people aged 15 years and above declined marginally to 4.9 per cent in February 2026 from 5 per cent in January, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released on Monday.
The survey, conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), showed that the urban unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent in February, after rising in January. The figure also dipped below the 6.7 per cent recorded in December 2025, indicating a modest improvement in urban job conditions.
In rural areas, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2 per cent during the month.
The data showed a sharper improvement in unemployment among women. The overall female unemployment rate declined to 5.1 per cent in February from 5.6 per cent in January, with reductions recorded in both rural and urban areas.
Among urban women, unemployment fell from 9.8 per cent in January to 8.7 per cent in February. In rural areas, the female unemployment rate declined slightly from 4.3 per cent to 4.0 per cent during the same period.
The male unemployment rate remained stable at 4.8 per cent in February.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) among people aged 15 years and above remained unchanged at 55.9 per cent, the same level recorded in January.
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In rural areas, the LFPR stood at 58.7 per cent, while the urban LFPR was estimated at 50.4 per cent, slightly higher than 50.3 per cent in January. Female participation in the workforce showed a modest increase. The overall female LFPR rose to 35.3 per cent in February from 35.1 per cent in January.
In rural areas, female participation improved from 39.7 per cent to 40.0 per cent, while the urban female LFPR remained unchanged at 25.5 per cent. The survey also showed that the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) — the proportion of employed persons in the population — remained broadly stable.
The overall WPR was estimated at 53.2 per cent in February, slightly higher than 53.1 per cent in January. In rural areas, the WPR stood at 56.3 per cent, while in urban areas it rose marginally to 47.0 per cent from 46.8 per cent in the previous month.
The monthly estimates are based on data collected from 3,74,879 individuals across the country.
The PLFS is the government’s primary survey for measuring employment and unemployment conditions in India. Its methodology was revised from January 2025 to generate monthly and quarterly estimates of labour market indicators.
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