The National Statistical Office (NSO) has released the latest Annual Report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for the year 2024. The report highlights small but notable improvements in labour market indicators across both urban and rural India. The data, collected from January to December 2024, includes yearly estimates under two methods — Current Weekly Status (CWS) and Principal and Subsidiary Status (PS+SS).
Labour Force Participation Increases in Urban Areas
In urban areas, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) under the Current Weekly Status showed an increase for both men and women. Among urban men, LFPR rose from 74.3% in 2023 to 75.6% in 2024, while urban women saw a slight rise from 25.5% to 25.8%. This resulted in the overall LFPR for urban areas increasing from 50.3% to 51.0%. Despite this improvement in cities, the national LFPR under CWS remained unchanged at 56.2%, showing little movement at the broader level.
Worker Population Ratio Sees Marginal Growth
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) under CWS also saw modest growth. In urban areas, WPR rose from 47.0% in 2023 to 47.6% in 2024, suggesting a slight boost in employment levels. Nationally, the WPR increased marginally from 53.4% to 53.5%, reflecting stable employment trends.
Mixed Trends in Unemployment Rates
Unemployment figures presented a mixed picture. In rural India, the unemployment rate fell slightly from 4.3% to 4.2%, with both male and female unemployment seeing small decreases. In contrast, urban male unemployment inched up from 6.0% to 6.1%, while female unemployment declined from 8.9% to 8.2%. As a result, the overall urban unemployment rate remained stable at 6.7%. The national unemployment rate under CWS saw a marginal drop from 5.0% in 2023 to 4.9% in 2024, indicating a small improvement in job availability.
Drop in Unpaid Rural Female Workers
A noteworthy change was the reduction in the share of rural women working as unpaid helpers in household enterprises. This figure fell from 19.9% in 2023 to 18.1% in 2024. The decline may have contributed to a small drop in labour force participation and employment within this group.
Stable Long-Term Employment Figures (PS+SS)
Under the Principal and Subsidiary Status (PS+SS) method, labour force indicators remained mostly steady. The national LFPR decreased slightly from 59.8% to 59.6%, while the WPR also saw a minor decline from 58.0% to 57.7%. The unemployment rate under PS+SS rose from 3.1% to 3.2%, a marginal change reflecting subtle shifts in the job market.
Large-Scale Survey
The PLFS was launched in 2017 to provide timely data on the labour market. For the 2024 calendar year, the NSO surveyed 12,749 First Stage Units, which included 6,982 villages and 5,767 urban blocks. In total, data was gathered from 1,01,957 households, covering 4,15,549 individuals across the country.
If you need any articles, suggestions, or have questions in the future, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always here to help and support: /https://theeasterntimes.com/contact-us/
Also reach us Through X (previously Twitter): https://x.com/times_555
also read: https://theeasterntimes.com/https-theeasterntimes-com-money-management/
Money Management Secrets: Proven Strategies to Achieve Financial Independence
Leave a Reply