Female Unemployment Rate Rises Sharply in Urban Areas, PLFS Report Shows

Female unemployment in India hit a three-month high in September 2025, with urban women facing the sharpest rise. Overall joblessness increased slightly, while labour force participation rate climbed to 55.3%. Read more.

Female unemployment hit a three-month high in September, with a slight increase in overall joblessness, according to the latest data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released on Wednesday. The unemployment rate for people aged 15 and above rose slightly in September, with female unemployment reaching its highest level in three months.

The overall unemployment rate for the 15-plus age group rose to 5.2% in September from 5.1% in August. When all age groups are considered together, the jobless rate climbed to 5.3%, up from 5.1%, marking a three-month peak.

Looking at rural and urban areas separately, a similar pattern of increased unemployment was observed. In rural areas, the unemployment rate for those aged 15 and above rose to 4.6% in September from 4.3% in August. In urban areas, the unemployment rate also increased slightly, reaching 6.8% from 6.7% during the same period.

Unemployment Rate Rises

Breaking it down by gender, male unemployment in rural areas rose slightly to 4.7% from 4.5%, while female unemployment increased more significantly, from 4.0% to 4.3%. In urban areas, the situation was more alarming for women, as their unemployment rate rose to 9.3% from 8.9%, while male unemployment climbed to 6.0% from 5.9%.

Despite the increase in unemployment rate, the labour force participation rate (LFPR), which measures the proportion of people who are either working or looking for work, continued to rise for the third consecutive month. It reached 55.3% in September, the highest level in five months, compared to 54.2% in June.

In rural areas, the LFPR increased significantly, rising from 56.1% in June to 57.4% in September. Urban participation remained stable at 50.9% from August to September. Notably, the LFPR for females aged 15 and above reached 34.1%, the highest since May.

These figures show the ongoing challenges in the job market, especially for women in urban areas, and highlight the need for focused policies to support female employment and boost overall workforce participation.