New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- The overall unemployment rate in India edged up to 5.2% in September 2025, a slight increase from 5.1% in August, according to the latest Monthly Bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Male unemployment also saw a moderate uptick across rural (4.7%) and urban areas (6.0%).

Despite the marginal rise in unemployment, the labour market shows signs of strengthening.

Rural LFPR increased steadily to 57.4%, while urban LFPR remained stable at 50.9%.

Overall female LFPR climbed to 34.1% in September, with rural female participation rising to 37.9%, marking three consecutive months of increase.

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