AUGUST 31, 2022
NEW DELHI: The unemployment rate in urban areas in the 15 years and above age group slowed to 7.6% in the April-June quarter of 2022 as economic activity gathered pace after lifting of Covid-19 curbs.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey for the April-June quarter also showed that the labour force participation rate (LFPR) improved only marginally during the period to 47.5% from 47.3% in the January-March quarter. For males it improved slightly to 73.5% from 73.4% in the previous quarter. For females it was at 20.9% in the June quarter, slightly up from 20.4% in the January-March quarter. The LFPR refers to the percentage of persons in the labour force (working or seeking or available for work) in population.
Unemployment rate for males during the June quarter slowed to 7.1% from 7.7% in the January-March quarter. For females it dipped below 10.% in the previous quarter to 9.5%.
The urban unemployment rate has consistently slowed for the past four quarters after soaring to 12.6% April-June quarter of 2021 due to the impact of the second Covid-19 wave. The data had triggered worries about the job situation in the country.
The worker participation rate, defined as the percentage of employed persons in population, also improved to 43.9% in June quarter from 43.4% in January-March quarter. For men, it rose to 68.3% in June quarter from 67.7% in March quarter while for females it improved to 18.9% from 18.3% in the January-March quarter of 2022. The unemployment rate for those in the 15-29 years age bracket also cooled but remained at double digit at 18.9% from 20.2% in the January-March quarter.
