Unemployment rate in India rose to 10.3% in Oct-Dec 2020: Survey

India's unemployment rate for all ages increased to 10.3 per cent in October-December 2020, as compared to 7.9 per cent in the corresponding months a year ago, according to a periodic labour force survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO). Labour force participation rate for all ages in urban areas also saw an increase, as per the survey. It was at 7.3 per cent in the October-December quarter of 2020, up from 37.2 per cent in the same period a year ago.

The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force, while 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.

The periodic labour force survey was launched in 2017. The quarterly survey gives an insight into labour force indicators namely unemployment rate, worker population ratio, labour force participation rate, distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in current weekly status etc.

Eight bulletins of the periodic survey corresponding to quarters ended December 2018, March 2019, June 2019, September 2019, December 2019, March 2020, June 2020 and September 2020 have already been released. The latest bulletin is the ninth in the series.

The rise in the unemployment rate comes in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which suspended commercial activities for a long time, leading to people losing jobs countrywide.