Unemployment rate marginally declines to 4.9% in 2024, shows PLFS data

India’s unemployment rate marginally dropped to 4.9 per cent in 2024 from 5 per cent in 2023 “suggesting slight improvements in employment opportunities”, according to Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data compiled by the statistics ministry. The data based on “current weekly status” showed a marginal decline in rural unemployment (from 4.3 per cent to 4.2 per cent), with slight reductions for both men and women. In urban India, male unemployment rose (from 6 per cent to 6.1 per cent), but female unemployment declined (from 8.9 per cent to 8.2 per cent), keeping the overall urban rate stable at 6.7