Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Report
- Context: Conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is a key source of data regarding employment, unemployment, and labour force participation in India.
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR – March 2026): The overall LFPR for individuals aged 15 years and above stands at 55.4%. Within this, the rural LFPR is 58.0%, while the urban LFPR remains unchanged at 50.3%.
- Women’s Participation: The LFPR for women, which stood at 35.3% in February 2026, witnessed a slight decline to 34.4% in March 2026. Specifically, the rural female LFPR is 38.9%, and the urban female LFPR is 25.2%.
- Worker-Population Ratio (WPR): This remains stable at an overall level of 52.6%. It stands at 55.5% in rural areas and 46.8% in urban areas.
- Unemployment Rate (UR): In March 2026, the unemployment rate rose to 5.1% (up from 4.9% in February). This increase is primarily attributed to a rise in urban unemployment, which reached 6.8%.
- Rural Scenario: In rural areas, the unemployment rate for women remained stable, whereas the unemployment rate for men witnessed a slight increase.
About the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
- Launched in 2017 by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) serves as India’s primary source for providing data on employment, unemployment, and wages.
- It was introduced as a replacement for the previous ‘National Sample Survey’ (NSS) method, with the aim of providing data on the labour market more frequently and reliably.
Two Approaches to Measuring Employment
- Usual Status (US): Based on activities over the past one-year period (reflecting long-term trends).
- Current Weekly Status (CWS): Based on activities over the past 7 days (reflecting short-term changes). This dual approach accurately captures the dynamic and informal nature of India’s labor market.
- Effective from 2025, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) adopts the calendar year cycle (January–December), replacing the previously followed agricultural year cycle (July–June).
