New Delhi [India], December 15 : Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increased to 55.8 per cent in November 2025, the highest level recorded since April 2025, showing a steady improvement in the labour market, according to the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.
The rise in participation came mainly from rural areas. The overall LFPR for persons aged 15 years and above reached a seven-month high in November. Rural LFPR moved up to 58.6 per cent, compared to 58.0 per cent in April and 57.8 per cent in October. Urban LFPR showed a marginal dip to 50.4 per cent from 50.5 per cent in the previous month, indicating stable but slower movement in cities.
Female participation continued its upward path during the period. Overall, female LFPR rose from 32.0 per cent in June 2025 to 35.1 per cent in November. The increase also came mainly from rural areas, where female LFPR climbed steadily from 35.2 per cent in June to 39.7 per cent in November. Urban female LFPR remained broadly stable at around 25.5 per cent, showing limited change over the months.
Employment levels also showed improvement. The Worker Population Ratio for persons aged 15 years and above increased to 53.2 per cent in November, up from 52.5 per cent in October. Rural areas drove this rise, with WPR improving from 55.4 per cent in April to 56.3 per cent in November. Urban WPR remains largely unchanged during the same period.
Women's employment showed clear gains in rural India. Rural female WPR rose from 36.9 per cent in October to 38.4 per cent in November. This increase pushed the overall female WPR from 32.4 per cent to 33.4 per cent within a month, reflecting stronger work participation among women outside cities.
Unemployment showed a clear decline in November. The overall Unemployment Rate for persons aged 15 years and above fell to 4.7 per cent from 5.2 per cent in October, marking the lowest level since April 2025. Rural unemployment dropped further to 3.9 per cent, while urban unemployment stood at 6.5 per cent, matching its earlier low recorded in April.
Both men and women saw lower unemployment. Female unemployment declined to 4.8 per cent in November from 5.4 per cent in October. Rural female unemployment fell to 3.4 per cent, while urban female unemployment eased to 9.3 per cent. Male unemployment also reduced to 4.6 per cent from 5.1 per cent in the previous month, with declines seen in both rural and urban areas.
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