Labour Market

Gauging disruption: AI studies highlight labour-market inequality

If entry-level roles shrink because of AI, the pathway for skill accumulation itself may be disrupted

MGNREGA work dips to 53.2 million households in FY26, lowest in six years

In FY25, around 57.8 million households got work under the scheme

Indian-origin Mangala Kuppa appointed as CIO of US labour department

Indian-origin technology leader Mangala Kuppa has been appointed the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the US Department of Labour, formalising her role after serving in an acting capacity since October last year. Kuppa, who also serves as the department's Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, was appointed earlier this month. She will continue to oversee information technology strategy, digital transformation and AI adoption across the agency. In a LinkedIn post confirming her appointment, Kuppa said she was "grateful for the opportunity to keep serving and making a difference". A seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of experience, Kuppa has played a key role in advancing the department's modernisation agenda, including development of enterprise AI strategy, expansion of data platforms and strengthening cybersecurity systems. She joined the Labour Department in 2010 and has since held several senior positions, including Chief Technology Officer and Director of Busine

More graduates but fewer jobs: India's youth faces a harsh reality

Between 2004 and 2023, 5 million graduates were added annually, but only 2.8 million found jobs; just 7% of unemployed graduates secure permanent salaried roles within a year

Russia turns to India for workers as Ukraine war deepens labour shortage

In 2021, 5,000 work permits were approved for Indian nationals but last year, almost 72,000 permits were okayed for Indians

Share of flexi workers rose to 70% from 20% in 5 years, says report

The share of flexi workers in India's workforce rose sharply to 70 per cent in 2025 from 20 per cent in 2020, while the proportion of permanent workers declined, an ISF report said

India's joblessness falls to three-quarter low of 4.8% in Q3 FY26

India's unemployment rate eased to a three-quarter low of 4.8% in Q3FY26, helped by higher labour force participation and a decline in youth joblessness, latest PLFS data showed

Russia turns to India, Sri Lanka to tackle labour shortage amid crisis

The total number of work permits given to foreigners rose to more than 240,000 in 2025, the highest since at least 2017, statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs show

India-US trade deal positive for labour-intensive sectors : Moody's

Moody's Ratings on Tuesday said the reduction of the US tariff rate on most Indian goods is credit positive for labour-intensive sectors such as gems, jewellery, textiles and apparel, which are the top export sectors. India and the US have agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from current 25 per cent, US President Donald Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Moody's in a statement said the trade deal will reinvigorate India's goods export growth to the US, which remains the country's largest goods export market, accounting for about 21 per cent of India's total goods exports for the first 11 months of 2025. "Lower tariff rate will also be credit positive for labour-intensive sectors such as gems, jewellery, textiles and apparel, which rank the top export sectors," it said. However, pharmaceuticals and consumer electronics, the other two major export sectors, had be

Donald Trump nominates BLS economist Brett Matsumoto to head agency

Matsumoto, who has a PhD in economics, arrived at BLS in 2015 and works within the Division of Price and Index Number Research

Statsguru: 'Gigification' of Indian economy and the future of work

What is often framed as flexible employment increasingly resembles regular work, raising questions around hours, pay and working conditions

States can draft labour code rules at their pace if aligned with new laws

Reportedly, the centre is in works to come up with the rules under the new codes by the first week of December, following which there will be a 45 day window for stakeholder consultations

Unemployment rate unchanged at 5.2% in October, shows PLFS data

The jobless rate in rural areas fell to 4.4 per cent from 4.6 per cent during this period

India's joblessness slowed to 5.2% in Q2 FY26, shows PLFS data

Unemployment rate in rural areas fell to 4.4%

Retail inflation for farm and rural workers shows easing in September

Retail inflation for farm and rural workers eased to -0.07 per cent and 0.31 per cent, respectively, in September from 1.07 per cent and 1.26 per cent in August, respectively, according to the Labour Ministry data released on Saturday. For the month of September 2025, the All-India Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers decreased by 0.11 points to 136.23, while the index for Rural Labourers decreased by 0.18 points, reaching 136.42, the labour ministry said. The CPI-AL and CPI-RL were 136.34 points and 136.60 points, respectively, in August 2025. The Food Index decreased by 0.47 points for Agricultural Labourers (AL) and 0.58 points for Rural Labourers (RL) in September 2025. Food inflation in September 2025 stood at -2.35 per cent for AL and -1.81 per cent for RL," the ministry stated. These indices are based on data collected from a set of 787 sample villages across 34 States/UTs.

India's jobless rate at 4-month low of 5.1% in August, shows PLFS data

The headline unemployment rate for people of age 15 and above in the current weekly status (CWS) terms for rural areas fell further to 4.3 per cent in August

US likely added modest 80K jobs in August, sign of cooling labour market

When the Labour Department put out a disappointing jobs report a month ago, an enraged President Donald Trump responded by firing the economist in charge of compiling the numbers and nominating a loyalist to replace her. Nothing quite so dramatic is likely Friday when the department releases hiring and unemployment numbers for August. They are expected to show that companies, government agencies and nonprofits added a modest 80,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet. That would be a slight improvement on July's 73,000 but still offer more evidence that the American job market has cooled significantly from last year. The unemployment rate is forecast to stay at a low 4.2 per cent suggesting that employers are stuck in a no-hire, no-fire mode: They are reluctant to add many new workers but don't want to give up the ones they have. But there are signs they may be starting to cut staff. The US job market has lost momentum this year, partly .

Can AI improve productivity? So far, the evidence is far from clear

AI productivity increases can also sometimes be masked by additional human labour needed to train or operate AI systems

US job openings rise to 7.8 million in May, show labour market strength

US job openings rose unexpectedly in May, a sign that the American labour market remains resilient in the face of high borrowing costs and uncertainty over US economic policy. US employers posted 7.8 million vacancies in May, The Labour Department reported Tuesday, up from 7.4 million in April. Economists had expected a slight decrease to 7.3 million. The number of Americans quitting their job a sign of confidence in their prospects rose modestly, and layoffs fell. Openings are high by historical standards but have come down sharply since peaking at a record 12.1 million in March 2022. The US job market has steadily decelerated from hiring boom of 2021-2023 when the economy bounced back from COVID-19 lockdowns. The unexpectedly strong post-pandemic recovery ignited inflation, prompting the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. The higher borrowing costs have gradually cooled the labour market, and President Donald Trump's policy of taxin

Doubling India's labour productivity in the next decade: Why and how

Rising labour productivity is the foundation of long-term improvements in real incomes, which are crucial for improving living standards and enhanced personal empowerment