India’s unemployment rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above remained largely stable in December, estimated at 4.8 per cent compared to 4.7 per cent observed in November, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics on Thursday. The rural UR remained stagnant at 3.9 per cent, while the urban UR stood at 6.7 per cent. Among rural males aged 15 years and above, the UR remained low and stable at 4.1 per cent in December 2025.
Further, the urban female UR moderated to 9.1 per cent last month, compared to 9.3 per cent in November 2025. The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) among persons aged 15 years and above showed an upward trend at 56.1 per cent in December, compared to 55.8 per cent in November.
According to the official statement, in rural areas, the LFPR was estimated at 59.0 per cent in December 2025, in comparison to 58.6 per cent in November 2025. The urban LFPR experienced a slight dip to 50.2 per cent from 50.4 per cent during this period.
Overall labour force participation for females aged 15 years and above edged up to 35.3 per cent from 35.1 per cent in November 2025. In rural areas, it witnessed an increase to 40.1 per cent during December 2025 — from 39.7 per cent in the previous month and in urban areas, it slipped slightly to 25.3 per cent in December from 25.5 per cent in November 2025.
Moreover, the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in the age group 15 years and above showed a gradual improvement in December 2025. Among rural males, WPR edged up to 76.0 per cent in December 2025 from 75.4 per cent in November 2025, while urban male WPR observed a decline from 70.9 per cent in November 2025 to 70.4 per cent in December 2025, pushing overall male WPR to 74.1 per cent, according to the statement.
