Unemployment rate in country stands at 5% in September, stable compared to August: NSO

The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), for persons aged 15 years and above, remained at 55.5% in September, compared to 55.6% in August. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Unemployment Rate (UR) in the country stood at 5% in September, stable compared to August, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said here in a release on Thursday that the rural UR remained “broadly stable” at 4.2%, against 4.1% in August, while urban UR marginally rose from 6.8% in August to 6.9% in this month. “Compared with September 2025, the overall UR declined by 0.2 percentage points and reached at 5% in September 2026. Rural UR declined by 0.4 percentage points, from 4.6% in September, 2025 to 4.2% in September 2026. UR in urban areas remained broadly stable from 6.8% in September 2025 to 6.9% in September 2026,” the Ministry said.Among females, the overall UR remained at 5.2%, up from 5.1% in August. Rural female UR stood at 3.9%, which, according to the government, is its lowest level in 2026, while urban female UR rose marginally from 8.9% to 9.2%. The government said unemployment rates declined year-on-year for both genders. The PLFS is the primary source of data on labour force participation and employment and unemployment conditions. At the all-India level, the monthly estimates are based on information collected from 3,70,513 persons surveyed.The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), for persons aged 15 years and above, remained at 55.5% in September, compared to 55.6% in August. “In rural areas, LFPR was recorded at 58% against 58.2% in August 2026, while the urban LFPR registered a moderate increase of 0.3 percentage points, rising from 50.4% in August, 2026 to 50.7% in September 2026,” the Ministry said. Compared to September 2025, the overall LFPR increased by 0.2 percentage points, from 55.3% to 55.5%. The rural LFPR increased by 0.6 percentage points in one year, from 57.4% to 58%, while urban LFPR registered a marginal decline of 0.2 percentage points, from 50.9% to 50.7%. Overall female LFPR stood at 34.6% in September 2026, compared with 34.8% in August 2026. “Urban female LFPR recorded a notable month-on-month increase of 0.5 percentage points, rising from 25.4% to 25.9% and reaching its highest level since October 2025. Rural female LFPR estimated at 38.9% in September 2026 against 39.4% in the previous month,” the release added. Overall female LFPR increased by 0.5 percentage points, from 34.1% in September 2025 to 34.6% in September 2026.The overall Worker Population Ratio (WPR) remained at 52.7% in September 2026, compared with 52.8% in August 2026. Overall WPR increased by 0.3 percentage points, from 52.4% in September 2025 to 52.7% in September 2026. Published - October 15, 2026 11:04 pm IST