Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO) under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), is primary source of data on employment and unemployment in India. Since January 2025, the survey methodology was modified to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators. The March 2026 bulletin is the 12th in the series, following the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach for persons aged 15 years and above.
Key Findings: March 2026
| Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) | Overall: 55.4% Rural: declined to 58.0% (from 58.7% in Feb 2026) Urban: stable at 50.3% |
| Female LFPR | Declined to 34.4% (from 35.3% in Feb 2026) Rural: 38.9% Urban: 25.2% |
| Worker Population Ratio (WPR) | Overall: 52.6% Rural: Declined slightly to 55.5% (from 56.3% in Feb 2026) Urban: Stable at 46.8% (against) 47.0% in Feb 2026) |
| Unemployment Rate (UR) | Overall: Increased to 5.1% (from 4.9% in Feb 2026) Urban: Rose to 6.8% (from 6.6%) Rural female UR: stable Rural male UR: marginal increase |