Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan report highest urban unemployment in July-September

According to data released by the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of the National Sample Survey Office, Himachal Pradesh topped the urban unemployment chart with 33.9%, followed by Rajasthan with 30.20% among the age group of 15 to 29 years during July-September 2023, against the national average of 17.3% of the same age group during the period, reported PTI.

The PLFS data also revealed that the urban female unemployment rate in Himachal Pradesh was 49.2% among the 15-29 age group in the July-September quarter of this fiscal year as compared to 25.3% of males in the state. 

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Rajasthan registered 39.4% of urban female unemployment in the quarter as against 27.2% in males, the PLFS data revealed.

Jammu & Kashmir also reported a high urban unemployment rate of 29.8% in the age group. Unemployment was high among females at 51.8% in the quarter compared to 19.8% among males in the July-September quarter.

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The data showed that the overall urban unemployment in the country was 17.3% in the 15-29 age group as per the current weekly status (CWS). The Current Weekly Status is determined based on a reference period of the last 7 days preceding the date of the survey.

The national average urban unemployment was 22.9% in the 15-29 age group as against  15.5% among the females in the July-September quarter of 2023, the PLFS data showed.

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The NSSO survey was conducted in 22 states. The survey reported the lowest unemployment rate of 7.1% in Gujarat followed by Delhi at 8.4% in the July-September quarter among persons of the age group of 15-29%.

The NSSO launched PLFS in April 2017. This Bulletin for the quarter ending September 2023 is the twentieth in the series.