Unemployment in India rises slightly to 5% in January: Government survey
The Hindu
Unemployment in India rises to 5% in January 2026, driven by rural factors, according to the latest government survey.
The rate of unemployment in the country among persons aged 15 years and above rose slightly to 5% in January this year from 4.8% in December 2025, according to a government survey released on Monday (February 16, 2026).
The UR (unemployment rate) or joblessness recorded a marginal increase in January in both rural and urban areas, showed the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). The data also showed a lower labour force participation rate (LFPR) as well as workers population ratio (WPR) across the rural and urban areas.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, said in a statement that the decline in LFPR and WPR, and rise in UR in January was primarily rural-driven, with seasonal factors, post-harvest slack, and discouragement effects playing a key role.
"Many activities like construction, agriculture allied work, transport, small trade, etc. slowdown in winter. Urban areas remained stable," it explained.
The pace of joblessness among those aged 15 years and above rose to 5% in January 2026 from 4.8% in December last year.
The rural UR edged up from 3.9% to 4.2%, while the urban UR increased from 6.7% to 7.0% during December 2025 to January 2026.
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