In accordance with the 13th Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons of 15 years and above in urban areas dipped to 8.7% in October-December (Q3) 2021 from 10.3% in Q3-2020. It was 9.8% in July-September (Q2) 2021.
- UR or Joblessness is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.
- Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons.
Key Figures representing Persons of 15 years and above in Urban Areas:
i.The joblessness was high Q3-2020 mainly due to lockdown restriction amid COVID-19.
ii.UR among females also declined to 10.5% in Q3-2021 from 13.1% in October – December 2020.
- It was 11.6% in Q2-2021.
iii.Among males, the UR also declined to 8.3% in Q3-2021 compared to 9.5% in October – December 2020.
- It was 9.3% in Q2-2021.
iv.Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in CWS (Current Weekly Status) remained unchanged at 47.3% in Q3-2021, compared to October – December 2020.
- It was 46.9% in Q2-2021.
v.Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in CWS was 43.2% in Q3-2021, compared to 42.4% in October – December 2020.
Sample Size:
At the all-India level, in the urban areas, a total number of 5,691 FSUs-First-Stage Sampling Units (Urban Frame Survey-UFS blocks) have been surveyed during the quarter October – December 2021. The number of urban households surveyed was 44,553 and the number of persons surveyed was 1,72,944 in urban areas.
About Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS):
It was launched in 2017 by NSO. On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely UR, WPR (Worker Population Ratio), LFPR, distribution of workers by broad status in employment, and industry of work in CWS. 12 Quarterly Bulletins of PLFS corresponding to the quarter ending December 2018 to quarter ending September 2021 have already been released.
Key Definitions:
LFPR: It is defined as the percentage of persons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
WPR: It is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
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 National Statistical Office (NSO):
NSO works under the aegis of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
