Urban Unemployment Declines to 3-Month Low in February

Key Highlights:

• Urban unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent in February from 7 percent in the previous month.
• Rural unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2 percent, lowering the overall unemployment rate to 4.9 percent from 5 percent in the previous month.

Labour Market Outcomes by Gender:

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• Female unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent from 5.6 percent in January, with declines seen in both rural and urban areas.
• Urban female unemployment fell to 8.7 percent from 9.8 percent, while rural female unemployment eased to 4.0 percent from 4.3 percent.

Workforce Participation:

• The female worker population ratio (WPR) increased to 33.4 percent in February from 33.1 percent in the previous month, reflecting gains in both rural and urban employment.
• Labour force participation rate for people aged 15 years and above remained unchanged at 55.9 percent in February, while the urban labour force participation rate edged slightly higher to 50.4 percent.