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A periodic labour force survey (PLFS) by the National Statistical Office (NSO) has showed improvement as the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above in urban areas dipped to 8.2 per cent in January-March 2022 from 9.3 per cent in the year-ago quarter. Joblessness or unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons among the labour force. Joblessness was high in January-March in 2021 mainly due to the staggering impact of the lockdown restrictions in the country, which were imposed to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus. PLFS showed the unemployment rate for persons of age 15 years and above in October-December 2021 was 8.7 per cent in urban areas.

As per the survey data, the unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas declined to 10.1 per cent in January-March, 2022 from 11.8 per cent a year ago. It was 10.5 per cent in October-December 2021. Among males, the unemployment rate in urban areas dipped to 7.7 per cent in January-March 2022 compared to 8.6 per cent a year ago. It was 8.3 per cent in October-December 2021. Labour force participation rate in CWS (Current Weekly Status) in urban areas for persons aged 15 years and above declined to 47.3 per cent in the January-March quarter of 2022, down from 47.5 per cent in the same period a year ago. It was 47.3 per cent in October-December 2021.

Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and, therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons. NSO launched PLFS in April 2017. On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely unemployment rate, Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in CWS. The estimates of unemployed persons in CWS give an average picture of unemployment in a short period of seven days during the survey period.