Unemployment Rate In India Touches Record Six-Year Low Of 3.2% During July 2022 To June 2023, NSSO Survey Reveals

The survey found that the unemployment rate (UR) in usual status for persons aged 15 years and above at the pan-India level dipped to 3.2 per cent in 2022-23, against 4.1 per cent reported in 2021-22.

The unemployment rate in India for individuals aged 15 years and above touched a record low during the July 2022 to June 2023 period, data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) revealed. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report 2022-23, released by the NSSO stated that the unemployment rate in India dropped to a six-year low of 3.2 per cent in the period. 

The survey, launched by the NSSO in 2017, looks into the labour force data, reported PTI. The report defines joblessness or unemployment rate as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force. The reference period for this year’s survey is July 2022 to June 2023. 

The survey found that the unemployment rate (UR) in usual status for persons aged 15 years and above at the pan-India level dipped to 3.2 per cent in 2022-23, against 4.1 per cent reported in 2021-22. The PLFS data released on Monday revealed that the UR rate was 4.2 per cent in 2020-21, 4.8 per cent in 2019-20, 5.8 per cent in 2018-19, and 6 per cent in 2017-18. The survey stated that the timeline for 2022-23 data refers to July 2022-June 2023, and likewise for the preceding years. The usual status indicates that the employment status of an individual is decided on the basis of the reference period of 365 days preceding the survey date. 

Region-wise, the UR rate in rural areas declined from 5.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 2.4 per cent in 2022-23. The urban areas also reported a decrease in UR from 7.7 per cent in 2017-18 to 5.4 per cent in 2022-23. Gender-wise, the data showed that the UR for males in India plunged from 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 to 3.3 per cent in 2022-23, while the UR for females dipped from 5.6 per cent to 2.9 per cent. 

The survey found that the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in usual status for individuals aged 15 years and above inched up to 57.9 per cent in the reported period from 49.8 per cent in 2017-18. The survey defined the LFPR as the percentage of individuals in the labour force, working or looking/available for work, in the population. 

With respect to LFPR, the rural areas reported an increase from 50.7 per cent in 2017-18 to 60.8 per cent in 2022-23. The urban areas also logged an increase in LFPR from 47.6 per cent in 2017-18 to 50.4 per cent in 2022-23.

Gender-wise, the LFPR for males in the country was on an upward trend at 78.5 per cent in the reporting period, up from 75.8 per cent in 2017-18. Similarly, for females, the LFPR increased from 23.3 per cent to 37.0 per cent. 

The survey also found that the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in usual status for individuals of age 15 years and above also increased to 56 per cent in the reporting period from 46.8 per cent in 2017-18. The survey defined the WPR as the percentage of employed persons in the population. The WPR in rural areas for the period came out at 59.4 per cent, while urban areas reported a WPR of 47.7 per cent. WPR for males stood at 76.0 per cent, while females logged a WPR of 35.9 per cent in the reporting period, the survey noted.