New Delhi, April 15 -- India's unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above rose to 5.1% in March 2026 from 4.9% in the previous month, owing to a rise in joblessness in urban areas.

The unemployment rate in urban areas rose to 6.8% in March from 6.6% the previous month, driven primarily by an increase in unemployment among both urban men and women, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey Monthly Bulletin released by the statistics ministry on Wednesday.

The rural unemployment rate remained nearly unchanged, rising slightly from 4.2% in February to 4.3% in March. Across both urban and rural areas, male unemployment climbed from 4.8% to 5.0% during this period, while female unemployment rose from 5.1% to 5.3%.

The P...