The latest Monthly Bulletin of the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) shows that India’s labour market remained broadly stable in April 2026, with urban employment levels holding steady and urban female unemployment falling to its lowest level in one year.
The data has been released under the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
Key Highlights of PLFS April 2026
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons aged 15 years and above stood at 55.0% in April 2026.
- March 2026: 55.4%
- April 2025: 55.6%
This indicates a slight moderation both month-on-month and year-on-year.
Rural and Urban LFPR
- Rural LFPR: 57.5%
- Urban LFPR: 50.1%
Female Labour Force Participation
Female LFPR for persons aged 15 years and above was estimated at 33.9% in April 2026.
- March 2026: 34.4%
- April 2025: 34.2%
Female LFPR by Region
- Rural female LFPR: 38.2%
- Urban female LFPR: 25.0%
While rural female participation remained stable compared to last year, urban female participation saw a slight decline.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR)
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of employed persons in the population, stood at 52.2% nationally in April 2026.
- March 2026: 52.6%
- April 2025: 52.8%
Urban WPR Remained Stable
Urban WPR remained unchanged at 46.8% in April 2026, the same level as March 2026.
Rural WPR stood at 54.9%.
The stability in urban WPR suggests that urban employment conditions remained resilient despite broader labour market moderation.
Unemployment Rate (UR)
The national Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above remained broadly stable at 5.2%.
- March 2026: 5.1%
- April 2025: 5.1%
Rural and Urban Unemployment
- Rural UR: 4.6%
- Urban UR: 6.6%
Urban unemployment eased slightly from 6.8% in March 2026.
Urban Female Unemployment Falls Sharply
One of the most notable findings of the report is the decline in urban female unemployment.
Urban female unemployment rate fell to 8.5% in April 2026 from 9.0% in March 2026.
This is the lowest level recorded since April 2025.
Male and Female UR
Male UR
- Overall male UR: 5.1%
- Urban male UR: 5.9%
- Rural male UR: 4.7%
Female UR
- Overall female UR: 5.4%
- Urban female UR: 8.5%
- Rural female UR: 4.4%
About PLFS
The Periodic Labour Force Survey is India’s primary survey for measuring:
- Employment levels
- Labour force participation
- Unemployment trends
Since January 2025, the survey methodology has been modified to provide monthly and quarterly labour market estimates at the national level using the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach.
Significance
The April 2026 PLFS data indicates that India’s labour market remains relatively stable despite moderate softening in labour force participation. The decline in urban female unemployment is a positive signal for urban job creation and women’s participation in economic activity.