Unemployment rate at 9.3% in Jan-Mar 2021: Survey

Unemployment rate for all ages in urban areas rose to 9.3 per cent in January-March 2021 from 9.1 per cent in the same month of the previous year, showed a periodic labour force survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.

The UR for in CWS (current weekly status) in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above was 10.3 per cent in October-December 2020, the ninth Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed.

It also showed that unemployment rate among females in urban areas (age 15 and above) rose to 11.8 per cent in January-March 2021 from 10.6 per cent a year ago. It was 13.1 per cent in October-December 2020.

Among males, the UR in urban area (age 15 years and above) remained flat at 8.6 per cent in  January-March 2021 compared to a year ago.

It was 9.5 per cent in October-December 2020.

Labour force participation rate in CWS (current weekly status) in urban areas for persons of 15 years of age and above  was 47.5 per cent in January-March quarter of 2021, down from 48.1 per cent in the same period a year ago.

It was 47.3 per cent in October-December 2020.

Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons.

NSO launched PLFS in April 2017.

On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely UR, Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in Current Weekly Status (CWS).

The estimates of unemployed persons in CWS give an average picture of unemployment in a short period of seven days during the survey period.

In the CWS approach, a person is considered unemployed if he/she did not work even for one hour on any day during the week but sought or was available for work at least for one hour on any day during the period.

Labour force according to CWS is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week preceding the date of survey. LFPR is defined as the percentage of population in the labour force.

WPR (in per cent) in CWS in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above stood at 43.1 per cent in January-March 2021, down from 43.7 per cent in the same period a year ago. It was 42.4 per cent in October-December 2020.

Nine bulletins of PLFS corresponding to quarters ended December 2018, March 2019, June 2019, September 2019, December 2019, March 2020, June 2020, September 2020 and December 2020 have already been released.

The latest bulletin is the tenth in the series.

Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo