New Delhi, Oct 15 – India’s labour market keeps showing a steady rise in employment. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) climbed to a five‑month high of 55.3 % in September, the Ministry of Statistics said on Wednesday. This marks the third month in a row that the LFPR has kept growing, signalling a broader pull of people into work.
Female participation is the biggest driver of that growth. In September, the LFPR for women aged 15 and older reached 34.1 %, the highest level since May. Rural women are the standout, with the female rural LFPR increasing from 56.1 % in June to 57.4 % in September. In cities, the LFPR stayed flat at 50.9 % in September, unchanged from August.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) also hit a new high. Across all age groups, the WPR rose to 52.4 % in September, the best figure since May. Female WPR has been on a steady up‑trend for three straight months, climbing from 30.2 % in June to 32.3 % in September. Rural women’s WPR grew from 33.6 % to 36.3 % over the same period, showing that more women are not only looking for work but actually finding jobs.
These numbers come from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the main gauge of employment activity in the country. Starting in January 2025 the survey was redesigned to deliver monthly and quarterly estimates of key labour market indicators – the LFPR, WPR and the Unemployment Rate – under the Current Weekly Status (CWS) framework. Every month the PLFS releases a bulletin that compiles these findings for the whole of India.
In short, the data show that more Indians – especially women in rural areas – are entering the workforce. The trend, if it continues, could reshape India’s labour market outlook for the coming years.
Source: ianslive
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