**Summary of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Bulletins – April-June 2025 (Quarterly) and July 2025 (Monthly)**
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin for April-June 2025 and the PLFS Monthly Bulletin for July 2025 on August 18, 2025. The PLFS, redesigned with a revamped sampling methodology starting in January 2025, aims to provide high-frequency labour force indicators.
**Key Objectives of the Redesigned PLFS:**
* Generate monthly estimates of key employment and unemployment indicators (LFPR, WPR, UR) under the Current Weekly Status (CWS) for rural and urban areas at the all-India level.
* Produce quarterly estimates of labour market indicators for both rural and urban India under the CWS framework.
* Provide annual estimates of key employment and unemployment indicators in both usual status (psss) and CWS for rural and urban areas.
**Key Findings – Quarterly Bulletin (April-June 2025):**
* **Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):** The all-India LFPR (CWS, 15+ years) was 55.0%. Rural LFPR was 57.1% and urban LFPR was 50.6%. Male LFPR was 78.4% (rural) and 75.1% (urban). Female LFPR was 37.0% (rural).
* **Worker Population Ratio (WPR):** The all-India WPR (CWS, 15+ years) was 52.0%. Rural WPR was 54.4% and urban WPR was 47.1%. Female WPR was 35.4% (rural) and 23.3% (urban).
* **Employment Status:** Self-employment was dominant in rural areas (55.3% of men, 71.6% of women), while regular wage/salaried employment was predominant in urban areas (47.5% of men, 55.1% of women).
* **Industry of Work:** Agriculture engaged the majority of rural workers (44.6% of men, 70.9% of women). The tertiary sector was the largest source of employment in urban areas (60.6% of men, 64.9% of women).
* **Total Employment:** Approximately 56.4 crore persons (15+ years) were employed, with 39.7 crore men and 16.7 crore women.
* **Unemployment Rate (UR):** The all-India UR (CWS, 15+ years) was 5.4%. The rural UR was 4.8%, and the urban UR was 6.8%.
**Key Findings – Monthly Bulletin (July 2025):**
* **Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):** The all-India LFPR (CWS, 15+ years) was 54.9% in July 2025, compared to 54.2% in June 2025. The rural LFPR was 56.9%, and the urban LFPR was 50.7%.
* **Worker Population Ratio (WPR):** The rural WPR (CWS, 15+ years) increased to 54.4% in July 2025 from 53.3% in June 2025. The urban WPR marginally increased to 47.0% in July 2025 from 46.8% in June 2025.
* **Unemployment Rate (UR):** The all-India UR (CWS, 15+ years) declined to 5.2% in July 2025 from 5.6% in June 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Statistics Programme Implementation: The ministry responsible for the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
Periodic Labour Force Survey PLFS: A survey conducted to generate high-frequency labour force indicators.
Current Weekly Status CWS: A framework used in the PLFS to measure employment and unemployment.
Labour Force Participation Rate LFPR: A key employment and unemployment indicator measured by the PLFS.
Worker Population Ratio WPR: A key employment and unemployment indicator measured by the PLFS.
Unemployment Rate UR: A key employment and unemployment indicator measured by the PLFS.
April June 2025: The period covered by the Quarterly Bulletin.
July 2025: The month covered by the Monthly Bulletin.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly
Bulletin for April - June 2025 and PLFS Monthly
Bulletin for July 2025
Posted On: 18 AUG 2025 4:26PM by PIB Delhi
A. Introduction
Considering the need to generate high-frequency labour force indicators with wider coverage, the sampling
methodology of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was revamped from January 2025. The
redesigned PLFS aims to achieve the following objectives:
To generate key employment and unemployment indicators – namely Labour Force Participation
(cid:108)
Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR) – every month for
both rural and urban areas at the all-India level under the Current Weekly Status (CWS).
To extend the Quarterly PLFS results to rural areas, thereby producing quarterly estimates of
(cid:108)
labour market indicators for both rural and urban India under the CWS framework.
To provide annual estimates of key employment and unemployment indicators in both usual status
(cid:108)
(ps+ss) and Current Weekly Status (CWS) for rural as well as urban areas.
Earlier PLFS Quarterly Bulletins, released up to December 2024, presented labour market indicators only for
urban areas. The current Bulletin for April–June 2025 marks the first in the series to provide estimates for
both rural and urban areas. In this Quarterly Bulletin, for the first time, efforts have been made to provide
estimates of the number of workers in absolute terms.
This Quarterly Bulletin presents estimates of key labour force indicators—Labour Force Participation Rate
(LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment Rate (UR), and the distribution of workers by
broad employment status and industry of work—in the Current Weekly Status (CWS), separately for rural and
urban areas at the all-India level. In addition, state-level estimates of LFPR, WPR, and UR in CWS are also
provided for selected States.
In the Monthly Bulletins of PLFS, estimates of Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population
Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR) at the all-India level are presented under the Current Weekly
Status (CWS), disaggregated by gender, sector, and broad age-groups.
The monthly Bulletin for the months April 2025, May 2025 and June 2025 have already been released. The
present monthly Bulletin for the month of July 2025 is the fourth in the series of Monthly Bulletins.
Key findings: Quarterly Bulletin April -June 2025
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in Current Weekly Status (CWS) for persons aged 15
(cid:108)
years and above was 55.0% during April–June 2025, with 57.1% in rural areas and 50.6% in urban
areas.
LFPR in CWS for male of age 15 years and above in rural and urban areas were 78.4% and 75.1%
(cid:108)respectively during April - June, 2025. LFPR among female of age 15 years and above for rural
areas was 37.0% during the quarter April - June, 2025.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above was 54.4% in
(cid:108)
rural areas. WPR in urban areas was 47.1% among persons of the same age group with the overall
WPR at the country level observed as 52.0% during the quarter April - June, 2025.
WPR for female of age 15 years and above for rural and urban areas were 35.4% and 23.3%,
(cid:108)
respectively during April - June 2025 and the overall female WPR of the same age group at the
country level was observed as 31.6%.
In terms of employment status, self-employment dominated in rural areas (55.3% of men and
(cid:108)
71.6% of women), while regular wage/salaried employment was predominant in urban areas
(47.5% of men and 55.1% of women).
By industry of work, the agriculture sector engaged the majority of rural workers (44.6% of men
(cid:108)
and 70.9% of women), while the tertiary sector was the largest source of employment in urban
areas (60.6% of men and 64.9% of women). On average, 56.4 crore persons (aged 15 years and
above) were employed in the country during this quarter, of which 39.7 crore were men and 16.7
crore were women.
Unemployment Rate (UR) in CWS for both males and females of age 15 years and above was
(cid:108)
recorded as 5.4% during the quarter April - June 2025.
The overall rural UR was lower at 4.8% compared to the UR of 6.8% observed for the urban areas
(cid:108)
in April – June 2025 quarter.
Key findings: Monthly Bulletin July 2025
During the month of July 2025, LFPR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above was
(cid:108)
54.9% as compared to 54.2% during June 2025.
During July 2025, LFPR in rural areas and urban areas was 56.9% and 50.7%, respectively for
(cid:108)
persons of the same age group.
LFPR in CWS for rural male of age 15 years and above was 78.1% whereas the LFPR for urban
(cid:108)
male of the same age group was 75.1% during July, 2025.
LFPR among rural female of the same age group increased to 36.9% during July 2025 as compared
(cid:108)
to 35.2% reported during June 2025.
During the month of July 2025, WPR in CWS in rural areas among persons of age 15 years and
(cid:108)
above increased to 54.4% from WPR of 53.3% observed in June 2025. WPR in urban areas has
marked marginal increase to 47.0% in July 2025 from 46.8% in June 2025 for persons of the same
age group.
WPR for rural female of age 15 years and above was 35.5% in July 2025 as compared to 23.5%
(cid:108)
observed for urban female. The overall female WPR of the same age group at the country level was
31.6% in July 2025.
UR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above declined to 5.2% in July 2025 from 5.6% in
(cid:108)
June 2025.
ANNEXURE –I
Key Findings of PLFS, Quarterly Bulletin (April – June 2025)
1. Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above
during the quarter April - June 2025sector age group male female person
15-29 years 62.6 22.5 42.3
15 years and
rural 78.4 37.0 57.1
above
all ages 57.0 27.9 42.3
15-29 years 59.3 21.3 41.3
15 years and
urban 75.1 25.6 50.6
above
all ages 58.5 20.4 39.9
15-29 years 61.5 22.1 42.0
15 years and
rural + urban 77.3 33.4 55.0
above
all ages 57.5 25.6 41.5
2. Worker Population Ratio (in per cent) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above during
the quarter April - June 2025
sector age group male female person
15-29 years 54.2 19.7 36.8
15 years and
rural 74.5 35.4 54.4
above
all ages 54.1 26.7 40.3
15-29 years 50.0 16.0 33.9
15 years and
urban 70.5 23.3 47.1
above
all ages 55.0 18.6 37.2
15-29 years 52.8 18.6 35.8
15 years and
rural + urban 73.1 31.6 52.0
above
all ages 54.4 24.2 39.3
3.Unemployment Rate (in per cent) in CWS for persons of age 15 years and above during the
quarter April - June 2025
sector age group male female person
15-29 years 13.4 12.4 13.1
15 years and
rural 5.0 4.3 4.8
above
all ages 5.0 4.3 4.8
15-29 years 15.8 24.7 17.9
15 years and
urban 6.1 8.9 6.8
above
all ages 6.1 8.9 6.8