Government Data Reveals Decline in Women’s Workforce Participation Across India

Quick Summary

• Unemployment rate (UR): Remained steady at 5.6% in May and June 2025 for individuals aged 15 and above, per the Periodic Labour Force survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.
• labour Force participation Rate (LFPR):

– Overall LFPR dropped slightly from 54.8% in May to 54.2% in June.
– Rural LFPR: Declined from 56.3% to 56.1%.- urban LFPR: Decreased from 50.6% to 50.4%.

• Gender-specific trends:

– Male LFPR declined marginally; rural areas fell from 78.3% to 78.1%, urban areas decreased slightly from 75.1% to 75%.
– Female LFPR dropped significantly:
– Rural females (age >15): Fell from May’s rate of around 36 to about 35%.
urban nearly stagnated -within below overall range.
unrate shrspminor exact numbers only