The unemployment rate (UR) in the country has increased by 0.3 percentage points to 5.5% in May 2026 compared to April 2026 according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation in New Delhi on Monday (June 15, 2026).

While the rural unemployment increased from 4.6% in April to 5.1% in May, the urban unemployment decreased marginally from 6.6% in April to 6.4% in May. UR among rural males of 15 years and above was 5.2% during May. For rural females of the same age group, it was 4.7%. In urban areas UR among females was 8.2% compared to 5.9% observed for males. In January this year, the UR was 5.0%. “Compared with May 2025, the urban UR declined from 6.9% to 6.4%, marking a reduction of 0.5 percentage points in May 2026. The overall UR remained stable, while the rural UR maintained the same level of 5.1% over the same period,” the Ministry said in a release.

The Labour Force Participation Rate for persons of age 15 years and above in the country stood at 54.4% in May, 2026. It was 55% in April. In rural and urban areas the LFPR stood at 56.6% and 49.8%, respectively, in May. LFPR among rural male was 77.7% and for rural female it was 36.7%. In urban areas, LFPR among female was 24.8% compared to 74.7% for males.

The worker population ration (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above at the all-India level was 51.4% in May 2026 compared to 52.2% in April. WPR in rural areas was 53.8% and 46.6% in urban areas. WPR among rural male of age 15 years and above was 73.7% in May and was 35.0% for females. In urban areas WPR among female was 22.7% compared to 70.3% for males.