PLFS 2024: Rural Unemployment Falls, Urban Labour Participation Grows

Current Context: The PLFS 2024 report (Periodic Labour Force Survey 2024) was released on April 9, 2025, by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Here are the key highlights:

• Rural Unemployment: Marginally declined from 4.3% to 4.2%, indicating slight improvements in rural employment opportunities.
• Urban Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Increased from 50.3% to 51.0%, with male participation rising from 74.3% to 75.6% and female participation improving slightly from 25.5% to 25.8%.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): Urban WPR rose from 47.0% to 47.6%, reflecting better workforce engagement.
• Overall Unemployment Rate: Declined slightly from 5.0% to 4.9%, showcasing minor improvements in employment opportunities.

Question:

Q.1 What was the rural unemployment rate as per the PLFS 2024 report (Periodic Labour Force Survey 2024)?
a) 4.0%
b) 4.3%
c) 4.2%
d) 5.0%

Answer: c) The rural unemployment rate marginally declined from 4.3% to 4.2%, indicating slight improvements in rural employment opportunities.