India’s labor force participation rate (LFPR) for individuals aged 15 and above remained constant at 55.4% in March, as per the Ministry of Statistics. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in the same age group stayed stable in urban areas at 46.8% and in rural areas at 55.5% during the month.
In February 2026, there was a notable recovery in the urban job market, with increased female employment and decreased unemployment rates in both rural and urban sectors. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by the National Statistics Office (NSO), MoSPI, is the key source of data on employment conditions.
The PLFS survey methodology was revised in January 2025 to offer monthly and quarterly estimates of labor force indicators. Monthly Bulletins provide insights on Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR) at the national level.
The latest Monthly Bulletin for March 2025 is the twelfth in the series, offering estimates based on data from 3,74,879 individuals surveyed nationwide. The survey covered 2,13,679 individuals in rural areas and 1,61,200 in urban areas.
