India’s Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for people aged 15 years and above stood at 55.0% in April 2026. It was 55.4% in March 2026 and 55.6% in April 2025.
Rural LFPR was recorded at 57.5%, while urban LFPR came in at 50.1% in April 2026. Overall participation remained lower compared to last year.
Female LFPR eased to 33.9% in April 2026 from 34.4% in March 2026. It was 34.2% in April 2025.
Rural female LFPR stood at 38.2%, while urban female LFPR was recorded at 25.0%. Urban female participation declined 0.7 percentage points compared to last year.
Overall Worker Population Ratio (WPR) stood at 52.2% in April 2026, compared to 52.6% in March 2026 and 52.8% a year ago.
Urban WPR remained unchanged at 46.8% in April 2026 compared to March 2026. Rural WPR stood at 54.9%, lower than 55.5% recorded in March.
Overall unemployment rate (UR) stayed broadly stable at 5.2% in April 2026. It was 5.1% in both March 2026 and April 2025.
Urban unemployment eased slightly to 6.6% in April 2026 from 6.8% in March. Rural unemployment rose to 4.6% from 4.3% during the same period.
Male unemployment rate stood at 5.1% in April 2026 against 5.0% in March. Urban male unemployment declined to 5.9% from 6.1%, while rural male unemployment increased to 4.7% from 4.4%.
Female unemployment rate rose to 5.4% in April 2026 from 5.3% in March and 5.0% a year ago. Urban female unemployment declined to 8.5%, the lowest level recorded since April 2025.
BBW News Desk is the editorial team of BigBreakingWire, a digital newsroom focused on global finance, markets, geopolitics, trade policy, and macroeconomic developments.
Our editors monitor government decisions, central bank actions, international trade movements, corporate activity, and economic indicators to deliver fast, fact-based reporting for investors, professionals, and informed readers.
The BBW News Desk operates under the editorial standards of BigBreakingWire, prioritizing accuracy, verified information, and timely updates on major global developments.
