Overall unemployment rate in cities and town show decline

Unemployment rate rose sharply in Agra, Ludhiana and Meerut during the five year period ending 2009-10, although overall it has come down in cities and towns in the country, according to a government study.
The unemployment rate in Agra rose from 0.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 5.5 per cent in 2009-10, revealed the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) on Employment and Unemployment Situation in cities and towns of India.
The unemployment rate in Ludhiana increased to 6.3 per cent in 2009-10 from 1.2 per cent in 2004-05. The joblessness rate in Meerut surged to 3.9 per cent from 2.1 per cent in the same period.

The maximum unemployment percentage was witnessed in Patna and Kanpur at 13.2 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively in 2009-10.
The lowest rate of unemployment was recorded in Bhopal at 0.1 per cent followed by Surat at 0.6 per cent and Indore at 0.8 per cent in 2009-10.
Reflecting an improvement in the job situation in cities and town, the survey revealed that the unemployment rate during five year period has come down from 3.8 to 2.8 per cent during the period under review.
This study is based on the eighth quinquennial survey on employment and unemployment conducted in the 66th round of NSS during July 2009 to June 2010.