In August 2025, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Quarterly bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for April-June 2025 and the Monthly Bulletin of PLFS for July 2025.
Exam Hints:
- What? PLFS Monthly and quarterly bulletin
- Released by: NSO, MoSPI
- Unemployment Rate (UR): 5.2% monthly and 5.4% quarterly
- Worker Population Ratio (WPR):52.0% (both quarterly & monthly)
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): 55.0% (quarterly), 54.9% (monthly)
- Total Employment: 56.4 crore employed
- Sectoral Employment: Agriculture leads in rural, Tertiary sector leads in urban
About Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS):
The NSO launched the PLFS in April 2017 to provide labour force data at more frequent intervals. The objectives include:
- Estimating key employment and unemployment indicators, such as LFPR, WPR and UR in urban and rural areas.
Revamped PLFS methodology:
To enhance the frequency and coverage of labour force data, the MoSPI has revamped the PLFS methodology effective January 2025. Key changes include:
- Monthly Estimates: Introduction of monthly estimates for Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR) at the all-India level, covering both rural and urban areas using the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach.
- Quarterly Rural data: Extension of quarterly employment estimates to include rural areas, providing a more comprehensive view of the labour market.
- Calendar Year Reporting: Transition to Calendar Year(CY)-based annual reporting (January-December), aligning with international standards and facilitating timely policy intervention.
Highlights of Quarterly Bulletin April – June 2025:
Sample Size:
First Stage Units (FSU): At the all-India level, a total number of 11,274 FSUs (6,213 rural sub- units and 5,061 urban sub-units) have been surveyed during the quarter April – June, 2025.
Households: The number of households surveyed was 1,34,128 (73,960 in rural areas and 60,168 in urban areas) and number of persons surveyed was 5,70,805 (3,25,989 in rural areas and 2,44,816 in urban areas).
Key Findings:
Unemployment Rate (UR): The UR for both males and females of age 15 years and above was recorded as 5.4% during the quarter April – June 2025.
- The overall rural unemployment rate stood at 4.8%, lower than the 6.8% recorded for urban areas.
- Among the rural male of age 15 years and above, the UR was 5.0% compared to 4.3% observed for rural females.
- In urban areas, among females of age 15 years and above, the UR was 8.9% compared to 6.1% observed for male.
Note: An individual is considered unemployed in a reference week if they did not engage in any work but were actively seeking or available for at least one hour during that week.
UR (in %) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above:
| Sector | Age Group | Male | Female | Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 15-29 years | 13.4 | 12.4 | 13.1 |
| 15 years and above | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.8 | |
| All Ages | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.8 | |
| Urban | 15-29 years | 15.8 | 24.7 | 17.9 |
| 15 years and above | 6.1 | 8.9 | 6.8 | |
| All Ages | 6.1 | 8.9 | 6.8 | |
| Rural + Urban | 15-29 years | 14.1 | 16.0 | 14.6 |
| 15 years and above | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | |
| All Ages | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The LFPR in CWS for persons aged 15 years and above was 55.0%, with 57.1% in rural areas and 50.6% in urban areas.
- LFPR in CWS for male of age 15 years and above in rural and urban areas were 78.4% and 75.1% respectively during April – June, 2025.
- LFPR among females of age 15 years and above for rural areas was 37.0% and in urban areas it was 25.6% during the same quarter.
LFPR (in %) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above:
| Sector | Age Group | Male | Female | Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 15-29 years | 62.6 | 22.5 | 42.3 |
| 15 years and above | 78.4 | 37.0 | 57.1 | |
| All Ages | 57.0 | 27.9 | 42.3 | |
| Urban | 15-29 years | 59.3 | 21.3 | 41.3 |
| 15 years and above | 75.1 | 25.6 | 50.6 | |
| All Ages | 58.5 | 20.4 | 39.9 | |
| Rural + Urban | 15-29 years | 61.5 | 22.1 | 42.0 |
| 15 years and above | 77.3 | 33.4 | 55.0 | |
| All Ages | 57.5 | 25.6 | 41.5 |
Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The WPR in CWS for person aged 15 years and above at the national level stood at 52.0% during the above quarter.
- WPR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above was 54.4% in rural areas and 47.1% in urban areas.
- WPR for female of age 15 years and above for rural and urban areas were 35.4% and 23.3%, respectively during April – June 2025 and the overall females WPR of the same age group at the country level was observed as 31.6%.
WPR (in %) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above:
| Sector | Age Group | Male | Female | Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 15-29 years | 54.2 | 19.7 | 36.8 |
| 15 years and above | 74.5 | 35.4 | 54.4 | |
| All Ages | 54.1 | 26.7 | 40.3 | |
| Urban | 15-29 years | 50.0 | 16.0 | 33.9 |
| 15 years and above | 70.5 | 23.3 | 47.1 | |
| All Ages | 55.0 | 18.6 | 37.2 | |
| Rural + Urban | 15-29 years | 52.8 | 18.6 | 35.8 |
| 15 years and above | 73.1 | 31.6 | 52.0 | |
| All Ages | 54.4 | 24.2 | 39.3 |
Other Key highlights:
Total Employment : On average, 56.4 crore persons( 39.7 crore men and 16.7 crore women) aged 15 years and above were employed in India during this quarter.
Employment Patterns: In rural areas, self-employment was dominant (55.3% of men and 71.6% of women), whereas in urban areas, regular wage or salaried jobs prevailed (47.5% of men and 55.1% of women).
Sectoral Employment Trends: Agriculture dominated rural employment (44.6% of men, 70.9% of women), whereas the tertiary sector led in urban areas (60.6% of men, 64.9% of women).
Highlights of Monthly Bulletin July 2025:
The July 2025 Monthly Bulletin is the fourth installment in the series of Monthly Bulletins.
Sample Size:
FSU: At the all-India level, a total number of 7,519 FSUs (4,144 rural sub- units and 3,375 urban sub-units) have been surveyed for July 2025.
Households: The number of households surveyed was 89,505 (49,355 in rural areas and 40,150 in urban areas) and number of persons surveyed was 3,78,222 (2,16,832 in rural areas and 1,62,390 in urban areas).
Key Findings:
Unemployment Rate (UR): The UR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above declined to 5.2% in July 2025 from 5.6% in June 2025.
UR (in %) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above:
| Sector | Age Group | Male | Female | Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 15-29 years | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| 15 years and above | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.4 | |
| All Ages | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.4 | |
| Urban | 15-29 years | 17.1 | 25.1 | 19.0 |
| 15 years and above | 6.6 | 8.7 | 7.2 | |
| All Ages | 6.7 | 8.7 | 7.2 | |
| Rural + Urban | 15-29 years | 14.3 | 16.7 | 14.9 |
| 15 years and above | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.2 | |
| All Ages | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The LFPR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above was 54.9% as compared to 54.2% during June 2025.
LFPR (in %) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above:
| Sector | Age Group | Male | Female | Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 15-29 years | 61.7 | 21.1 | 41.2 |
| 15 years and above | 78.1 | 36.9 | 56.9 | |
| All Ages | 56.7 | 27.7 | 42.0 | |
| Urban | 15-29 years | 59.1 | 21.2 | 41.2 |
| 15 years and above | 75.1 | 25.8 | 50.7 | |
| All Ages | 58.7 | 20.7 | 40.1 | |
| Rural + Urban | 15-29 years | 60.9 | 21.1 | 41.2 |
| 15 years and above | 77.1 | 33.3 | 54.9 | |
| All Ages | 57.4 | 25.5 | 41.4 |
Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The WPR in CWS in rural areas among persons of age 15 years and above increased to 54.4% from WPR of 53.3% observed in June 2025.
WPR (in %) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above:
| Sector | Age Group | Male | Female | Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 15-29 years | 53.7 | 18.3 | 35.8 |
| 15 years and above | 74.5 | 35.5 | 54.4 | |
| All Ages | 54.1 | 26.6 | 40.2 | |
| Urban | 15-29 years | 49.0 | 15.9 | 33.4 |
| 15 years and above | 70.1 | 23.5 | 47.0 | |
| All Ages | 54.8 | 18.9 | 37.2 | |
| Rural + Urban | 15-29 years | 52.1 | 17.6 | 35.1 |
| 15 years and above | 73.0 | 31.6 | 52.0 | |
| All Ages | 54.3 | 24.2 | 39.2 |
Key Terms:
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): It is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR): It is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
Unemployment Rate (UR): It is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.
Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):
Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge, IC) – Rao Inderjit Singh (Constituency: Gurgaon, Haryana)
