Unemployment

Unemployment among rural women at one-year high in June: Experts

Weak monsoon and delayed kharif sowing may have pushed rural women's unemployment to a one-year high in June despite higher labour force participation

India's female unemployment rate rises to 15-month high of 5.9% in June

India's female unemployment rate rises to a 15-month high of 5.9% in June, while overall unemployment stays at 5.5% amid mixed labour market trends

Engines of employment: Large cities create more opportunities

The first PLFS report on million-plus cities highlights stronger urban employment and wages but reveals wide disparities in female participation and manufacturing pay

China's booming gig economy masks job market pain, strains welfare system

An estimated 320 million Chinese are expected to be in flexible employment this year as a weak labour market, AI adoption and a property downturn push more workers into gig jobs

India's unemployment rate hit 8-year low in 2025, shows NSO data

But urban female joblessness rose sharply in several states

Best of BS Opinion: When access becomes power

From AI access and workforce disruption to economic reform and market opportunities, this edition explores how nations and industries navigate narrowing gateways

Husband cannot evade his duty towards child citing unemployment: Court

A husband cannot evade his legal responsibility towards his wife and minor child merely by claiming unemployment, a Delhi court has said while directing a man to pay Rs 6,000 monthly maintenance to his son in a domestic violence case. Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan was hearing an appeal filed by a woman challenging a trial court order that had denied her monetary relief under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence (PWDV) Act and allowed her plea. In an order dated June 2, the court said, "It is for the respondent/husband to manage his expenses and merely giving the excuse that he is jobless or that he has other responsibilities... does not absolve him from maintaining his legally wedded wife and the minor son." The court held that the husband, described as an able-bodied person, was capable of paying maintenance and directed him to pay Rs 6,000 per month towards the upkeep of the child till he attains maturity. The woman had alleged that after her marri

Gloomy future: For new graduates, job market scars could linger for years

Weak hiring and AI-driven disruption threaten recent graduates with lower wages, slower career growth and higher unemployment, economists warn

Cockroach Janata Party: Indian youth turn political anger into viral satire

The CJP manifesto offers an unstructured opinion poll on what concerns young people most

Datanomics: Is Cockroach Janata Party a digital buzz or political reality?

Concerns about jobs, employability and economic uncertainty have shaped youth conversations in India and abroad

India Out of Work: Hurdles in the Viksit Bharat race for growth and jobs

The book holds the slowdown in the growth of non-farm jobs as a key reason for inadequate demand

Urban unemployment rate eases marginally to 6.6% in March quarter

Unemployment rate in cities declined marginally to 6.6 per cent in March quarter from 6.7 per cent in October-December 2025, a government survey released on Monday said. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by National Statistics Office for the quarter covered a total of 5,61,822 persons, aged 15 years and above. The March quarter update is the fourth in the series. The bulletin for April June 2025 was the first to provide estimates for both rural and urban areas. It stated that the overall unemployment rate or joblessness in urban areas exhibited declining trend during January-March 2026 compared to the last two quarters. It stood at 6.6 per cent during March quarter compared to 6.7 per cent in the previous quarter while it edged up marginally to 4.3 per cent from 4.0 per cent in rural areas. In rural areas, regular wage/salaried employees showed an upward movement at 15.5 per cent during January-March 2026 from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter. Share of ...

Women-led households linked to better quality jobs: SBI Research

SBI Research analysis of PLFS 2025 data found women-headed households are associated with higher regular wage employment and lower dependence on casual labour

US jobless claims rise slightly, remain less than expected amid low layoffs

US jobless claims rose slightly last week but remained below expectations, signalling continued resilience in the labour market despite AI-driven layoffs and global risks

India fiscal deficit may breach target, rise to 4.5% in FY27: BMI

Fitch warns India's fiscal deficit may exceed the FY27 target due to higher subsidies and policy support, while Moody's sees rising inflation and unemployment risks

India's unemployment rate rises to 5.1% in March, led by urban centres

The unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 and older rose slightly to 5.1 per cent in March from 4.9 per cent in February this year, mainly due to high joblessness in urban areas, according to government data released on Wednesday. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), is the primary source of data on activity participation, employment and unemployment conditions of the population. The PLFS survey methodology has been modified from January 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators for the country. The Monthly Bulletins for April 2025 to February 2026 have already been released. The present Monthly Bulletin for March 2026 is the twelfth in the series. A statement on the PLFS stated that the UR among persons aged 15 years and above rose slightly to 5.1 per cent in March 2026 from 4.9 per cent in February 2026, mainly driv

Datanomics: Minorities face disadvantage in India's labour market

India's stable unemployment rate masks sharp disparities, with minorities facing uneven job access, lower participation and higher reliance on informal work

Improving job quality: India needs to generate more productive employment

Revamped PLFS offers sharper labour data, but reveals a deeper concern-India's workforce remains trapped in low-quality jobs with weak wage growth

British military sees jobs crisis as opportunity to rebuild depleted forces

Military opportunities are now being actively promoted in job centres around the country, with a particular focus on regions with high youth unemployment

Three poles in poll fray: Kerala boasts literacy, low poverty, but not jobs

Kerala heads into a three-cornered electoral contest amid strong social indicators, fiscal stress, and a persistent jobs crisis