Overview
- India’s statistics ministry released the 2025 Periodic Labour Force Survey on Friday, reporting unemployment at 3.1% with rural at 2.4% and urban at 4.8%.
- The labour force participation rate held at 59.3% for people aged 15 and older while the worker population ratio stood at 57.4%, signaling a steady scale of people working or seeking work.
- The share of regular salaried jobs rose to 23.6% as self-employment eased to 56.2% and agriculture’s job share fell to 43.0%, pointing to a gradual shift toward manufacturing and services.
- Women’s earnings grew faster than men’s across job types in 2025, yet large gaps persisted with women earning 76% of men’s pay in salaried roles and only 36% in self-employment.
- A separate government survey of unincorporated businesses showed slower informal-sector momentum in 2025 as wages rose 3.9% and net new establishments and jobs fell, which could limit hiring for lower-income workers.