The data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation shows that the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in urban areas saw a marginal increase, while the rural unemployment slightly decreased between 2023 and 2024.

The data revealed that LFPR in urban areas saw a marginal increase, with male participation rising from 74.3% in 2023 to 75.6% in 2024. Female participation also saw a slight uptick from 25.5% to 25.8%. As a result, the overall LFPR in urban areas increased from 50.3% to 51%. However, the national LFPR remained largely unchanged at 59.6%, down slightly from 59.8% in 2023, the data revealed.

Worker Population Ratio (WPR) also showed improvements in urban areas, increasing from 47.0% to 47.6%. At the national level, however, WPR remained stable, with only a slight decrease from 58.0% to 57.7%, indicating a small dip in employment despite stable participation rates.

Urban Labour Force Participation: What Else?

The data reveals that the unemployment rate saw minor fluctuations across different areas. Rural unemployment slightly decreased from 4.3% to 4.2%, with reductions for both males and females.

In urban areas, male unemployment rose slightly from 6.0% to 6.1%, while female unemployment dropped from 8.9% to 8.2%. The overall urban unemployment rate remained stable at 6.7%.

At the national level, the unemployment rate improved slightly from 5% to 4.9%, which suggests minor progress in employment opportunities in the country, the data suggests.

The data shows a decline in unpaid helpers in household enterprises, especially among rural females, contributed to a decrease in LFPR in rural areas, where the percentage of helpers in Household Enterprises fell from 19.9% to 18.1%.