The enigma of low unemployment rates

During the week ended Feb 26, consumer sentiment fell 3.4%, unemployment rate rose to 4.4%

During the week ended February 26, the BSE-CMIE-UMich consumer sentiment index fell by 3.4 per cent to 94.01 and the unemployment rate inched up to 4.4 per cent.

The unemployment rate is perplexing. In January 2017, it was just under 6 per cent compared to almost 9 per cent a year ago, in January 2016. The unemployment rate has remained around 6 per cent during all the post demonetisation months of November, December and January. It continues to remain under six per cent in February as well. It was persistently higher at 8-9 per cent till September 2016.