Gujarat has reason to cheer, if the latest unemployment data is considered. It is one of the three states in the country which recorded unemployment in single digits at 9% in the 15-29 age group in urban areas.
This is according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) for the Jan-March quarter of 2024.
Delhi topped the charts with Delhi (3.1%) while Haryana was third (9.5%). The other two states among the five with low joblessness rates were Karnataka (11.5%) and Madhya Pradesh (12.1%).
Kerala had the highest unemployment rate among the 22 states and UTs surveyed. J&K, Telangana, Rajasthan and Odisha had the highest unemployment rates, the survey showed.
Overall joblessness rate
Overall joblessness rate for the period for this category was at 17%, higher than the 16.5% in the Oct-Dec period and marginally below the 17.3% in Jan-March 2023.
Joblessness rate for all age groups for the Jan-March quarter of 2024 has been estimated at 6.7%, slightly higher than the 6.5% in the Oct-Dec quarter but marginally below the 6.8% in the Jan-March quarter of 2023.
Double-digit unemployment rate has been a problem for the 15-29 age group for some time. It spiked during the COVID period. The data also showed that the unemployment rate for women was the highest in J&K at 48.6%, followed by Kerala (46.6%).
The overall female unemployment rate in Jan-March quarter was at 22.7%, marginally higher than the 22.5% in the Oct-Dec period and slightly lower than 22.9% in Jan-March 2023.
The quarterly PLFS survey measures joblessness rate, labour force participation rate and worker population ratio.
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