New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- India's unemployment rate declined to 5.1 per cent in July-September 2026 from 5.4 per cent in the previous quarter, driven by a decline in rural unemployment, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Tuesday.

The unemployment rate in rural areas fell to 4.3 per cent from 4.8 per cent in April-June 2026. However, the urban unemployment rate edged up to 6.8 per cent from 6.7 per cent during the same period.

Labour Force Participation And Employment Ratios Improve

The survey showed an improvement in labour force participation, with the share of people aged 15 years and above who were either employed or seeking employmen...