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Jobs, employees and the labour force
Employment counts and rates depend on age, activity status, reference period and whether the denominator is people or the labour force.
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Employment and unemployment in India: three rates to read together
The August 2026 PLFS reports 55.6% labour force participation, a 52.8% worker population ratio and 5.0% unemployment for people aged 15+.
Explore →Published analysisWomen and work in India: participation, employment and state differences
Read female labour force participation alongside employment, with August 2026 national figures and a separate April–June state comparison.
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Selected checked indicators
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| Measure | Value | Who or what is counted? | Period and evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force participation rate, age 15+India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 55.6%of population aged 15+ | Population aged 15+; numerator is people employed or unemployed under Current Weekly Status | August 2026; age 15+; Current Weekly Status Official source ↗Statement 1, age 15+ rows, PDF page 5; printed page 4 Definition and limitsCurrent Weekly Status uses the preceding seven days. Participation is not the proportion in salaried employment. Monthly and annual usual-status figures must remain separate. |
| Worker population ratio, age 15+India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 52.8%of population aged 15+ | Population aged 15+; numerator is employed people under Current Weekly Status | August 2026; age 15+; Current Weekly Status Official source ↗Statement 2, age 15+ rows, PDF page 8; printed page 7 Definition and limitsMeasures employment relative to the age-eligible population. It does not indicate hours, earnings, job security or whether the work is salaried. |
| Unemployment rate, age 15+India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 5%of labour force aged 15+ | Labour force aged 15+; numerator is unemployed people under Current Weekly Status | August 2026; age 15+; Current Weekly Status Official source ↗Statement 3, age 15+ rows, PDF page 11; printed page 10 Definition and limitsThe denominator is the labour force, not all adults or all residents. People outside the labour force are not all unemployed. Retain one decimal when displaying 5.0. |
| Female labour force participation rate, age 15+India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 34.8%of women aged 15+ | Female population aged 15+; numerator is employed or unemployed women under Current Weekly Status | August 2026; age 15+; Current Weekly Status Official source ↗Statement 1, age 15+ / female column, PDF page 5; printed page 4 Definition and limitsUse with the corresponding female worker-population ratio and employment composition. A participation rate alone does not establish paid employment, income or work quality. |
| Female worker population ratio, age 15+India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 33%of women aged 15+ | Female population aged 15+; numerator is employed women under Current Weekly Status | August 2026; age 15+; Current Weekly Status Official source ↗Statement 2, age 15+ / female column, PDF page 8; printed page 7 Definition and limitsEmployed women as a share of the corresponding female population. Includes the types of work recognised by PLFS; does not measure paid salaried employment alone. |
| Female unemployment rate, age 15+India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 5.1%of female labour force aged 15+ | Female labour force aged 15+; numerator is unemployed women under Current Weekly Status | August 2026; age 15+; Current Weekly Status Official source ↗Statement 3, age 15+ / female / rural+urban cell, PDF page 11; printed page 10 Definition and limitsThe denominator is women in the labour force, not all women aged 15+. It cannot be subtracted from 100 to obtain the share of all women employed. |
| Male participation in unpaid domestic services, ages 15–59India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 30.4%of persons on diary day | Male persons aged 15–59 represented by TUS 2024 | January–December 2024; reference diary day Official source ↗Table 1, unpaid domestic services, 15–59 years Definition and limitsSample-survey estimates. Participation means doing an activity on the reference day. Per-participant minutes exclude people who did not do the activity; per-person minutes include them. Employment-related participation is not the PLFS labour-force rate. Age groups 15–29 and 15–59 overlap and must not be added. Total per-person minutes can differ from 1440 from rounding. Activity classification and treatment of simultaneous activities belong to the report; these records do not add participant durations to infer a daily budget. |
| Female participation in unpaid domestic services, ages 15–59India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 92.9%of persons on diary day | Female persons aged 15–59 represented by TUS 2024 | January–December 2024; reference diary day Official source ↗Table 1, unpaid domestic services, 15–59 years Definition and limitsSample-survey estimates. Participation means doing an activity on the reference day. Per-participant minutes exclude people who did not do the activity; per-person minutes include them. Employment-related participation is not the PLFS labour-force rate. Age groups 15–29 and 15–59 overlap and must not be added. Total per-person minutes can differ from 1440 from rounding. Activity classification and treatment of simultaneous activities belong to the report; these records do not add participant durations to infer a daily budget. |
| Time spent on unpaid domestic services by male participants aged 15–59India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 86minutes per day per participant | Male persons aged 15–59 who participated in unpaid domestic services | January–December 2024; reference diary day Official source ↗Table 2, unpaid domestic services, 15–59 years Definition and limitsSample-survey estimates. Participation means doing an activity on the reference day. Per-participant minutes exclude people who did not do the activity; per-person minutes include them. Employment-related participation is not the PLFS labour-force rate. Age groups 15–29 and 15–59 overlap and must not be added. Total per-person minutes can differ from 1440 from rounding. Activity classification and treatment of simultaneous activities belong to the report; these records do not add participant durations to infer a daily budget. |
| Time spent on unpaid domestic services by female participants aged 15–59India · Jobs, employees and the labour force | 305minutes per day per participant | Female persons aged 15–59 who participated in unpaid domestic services | January–December 2024; reference diary day Official source ↗Table 2, unpaid domestic services, 15–59 years Definition and limitsSample-survey estimates. Participation means doing an activity on the reference day. Per-participant minutes exclude people who did not do the activity; per-person minutes include them. Employment-related participation is not the PLFS labour-force rate. Age groups 15–29 and 15–59 overlap and must not be added. Total per-person minutes can differ from 1440 from rounding. Activity classification and treatment of simultaneous activities belong to the report; these records do not add participant durations to infer a daily budget. |
Definitions and evidence to use
Employment counts and rates depend on age, activity status, reference period and whether the denominator is people or the labour force.
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