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India's Labour Force Participation Hits 55.8%, Female Workforce Grows

India's Labour Force Participation Rate for individuals aged 15 and above increased to 55.8% in the October-December 2025 quarter. Female participation showed significant improvement, rising to 34.9%, driven largely by growth in rural areas. Concurrently, the unemployment rate declined in both rural and urban regions, with rural unemployment dropping to 4.0%. The data also indicates a rise in self-employment and a continued dominance of agriculture in rural job markets.

Key Points: Labour Force Participation Rises to 55.8%, Unemployment Falls

  • LFPR rises to 55.8%
  • Female participation jumps to 34.9%
  • Rural unemployment falls to 4.0%
  • Self-employment in rural areas grows
2 min read

Labour Force Participation Rate spikes to 55.8%, unemployment rate declines: MoSPI data

India's LFPR rises to 55.8% with female participation surging to 34.9%. Unemployment rate declines in both rural and urban areas.

"The overall LFPR of female aged 15 years and above showed upward trend, increased to 34.9% - MoSPI Data"

New Delhi, February 11

The Labour Force Participation Rate among persons aged 15 years and above rose to 55.8 per cent during October-December 2025, up from 55.1 per cent in the previous quarter, according to the latest Quarterly Bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the National Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Wednesday.

The overall LFPR of female aged 15 years and above showed upward trend, increased to 34.9% in October-December, 2025 from 33.7% in the previous quarter, driven by increase in female LFPR in rural areas from 37.5% in the quarter July-September, 2025 to 39.4% in October-December, 2025.

However, female LFPR in urban areas remained stable, it said.

On the Unemployment Rate (UR) among persons aged 15 years and above, the MoSPI data said in the rural areas, it declined to 4.0% in October-December, 2025 from 4.4% in the previous quarter, driven by reduction in UR for both rural male and female.

The urban unemployment rate for persons of age 15 years and above decreased to 6.7% as compared to 6.9% reported in the previous quarter, driven by a decline in urban male UR from 6.2% during July-September, 2025 to 5.9% in the current quarter.

The overall Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above rose to 53.1% in October-December, 2025 as compared to 52.2% in July-September, 2025 mainly driven by the increased workforce participation of persons in rural areas.

The overall WPR of female aged 15 years and above continued to improve during the quarter October-December, 2025 as compared to last two quarters, reflecting a positive shift in women's engagement in the workforce.

A notable observation was made in the self-employment as the data said the self-employed persons of age 15 years and above in rural areas increased to 63.2% during October- December, 2025, up from 62.8% recorded in the previous quarter July-September, 2025.

In urban areas, self-employed persons of the same age group were reported as 39.7% during October-December 2025.

Agriculture continued to dominate rural employment, accounting for 58.5 per cent of employed persons aged 15 years and above during the quarter, up from 57.7 per cent earlier. In urban areas, the tertiary sector remained the largest employer, engaging 61.9 per cent of workers.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
Good to see the numbers improving, but we must look at the quality of jobs. A jump in self-employment in rural areas is good, but are these sustainable livelihoods or just people forced into low-income gig work? The urban unemployment is still high at 6.7%.
A
Aditya G
As someone from a tier-2 city, I can feel this change. More opportunities are trickling down. The reduction in rural unemployment to 4% is significant. Hope this trend continues and translates into better wages.
S
Sarah B
The data on women is promising, but the urban female LFPR remaining "stable" is a concern. In metros, childcare support and safe transport remain huge barriers. Progress in rural areas is great, but cities need targeted policies too.
K
Karthik V
Agriculture still employs 58.5% in rural India. While it provides employment, we need to see a shift towards higher productivity and value addition in this sector. Dependence on monsoon and low income per capita is still a challenge. The overall direction is positive though!
M
Meera T
Heartening to see more women working. When mothers and sisters earn, it changes the dynamics at home for the better. Hope the schemes for rural entrepreneurship keep supporting this trend. Jai Hind!

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