India’s unemployment rate rose to 5.0% in January 2026 from 4.8% in December, coming in above market expectations of 4.8%. The increase was driven by higher joblessness in both rural areas (4.2% vs. 3.9%) and urban centers (7.0% vs. 6.7%). Unemployment among women climbed notably, reaching 9.8% in urban areas (up from 9.1%) and 4.3% in rural regions (from 3.6%). Male unemployment also edged higher in urban areas to 6.0% from 5.9%, while remaining unchanged at 4.1% in rural areas. Meanwhile, the employment rate slipped to 53.1% from 53.4% in December, and the labor force participation rate declined to 55.9% from 56.1%, pointing to a slight softening in overall labor market conditions. source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI)

Unemployment Rate in India increased to 5 percent in January from 4.80 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in India averaged 7.87 percent from 2018 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 20.80 percent in June of 2020 and a record low of 4.70 percent in November of 2025. This page provides - India Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. India Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in India increased to 5 percent in January from 4.80 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in India is expected to be 5.10 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the India Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 5.40 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-15 10:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 4.8% 4.7% 4.8% 4.8%
2026-02-16 10:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 5% 4.8% 4.8% 4.9%
2026-03-16 10:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 5% 5.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employment Rate 53.10 53.40 percent Jan 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 55.90 56.10 percent Jan 2026
Minimum Wages 178.00 178.00 INR/Day Dec 2026
Population 1398.60 1386.18 Million Dec 2024
Retirement Age Men 60.00 60.00 Years Dec 2025
Retirement Age Women 60.00 60.00 Years Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 5.00 4.80 percent Jan 2026


India Unemployment Rate
In India, the unemployment rate is estimated by directly interviewing a large sample of randomly selected households. Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Consumer Pyramids panel of households includes over 174,405 households including over 522,000 members who are over 15 years old.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
5.00 4.80 20.80 4.70 2018 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
India’s Jobless Rate Edges Higher in January
India’s unemployment rate rose to 5.0% in January 2026 from 4.8% in December, coming in above market expectations of 4.8%. The increase was driven by higher joblessness in both rural areas (4.2% vs. 3.9%) and urban centers (7.0% vs. 6.7%). Unemployment among women climbed notably, reaching 9.8% in urban areas (up from 9.1%) and 4.3% in rural regions (from 3.6%). Male unemployment also edged higher in urban areas to 6.0% from 5.9%, while remaining unchanged at 4.1% in rural areas. Meanwhile, the employment rate slipped to 53.1% from 53.4% in December, and the labor force participation rate declined to 55.9% from 56.1%, pointing to a slight softening in overall labor market conditions.
2026-02-16
India Unemployment Rate Holds Close to Record Low
The unemployment rate in India inched higher to 4.8% in December of 2025 from the series low 4.7% touched in the previous month, aligned with market expectations and remaining well under averages from other periods. The unemployment rate for urban persons inched higher to 6.7% from 6.5%, while that of the rural population remained unchanged at 3.9%. The increase in the overall unemployment rate was aligned with a 0.3 percentage point jump in the labor force participation rate to 56.1%, a series high.
2026-01-15
Indian Labor Market Holds Robust Momentum
The unemployment rate in India was at 5.2% in October of 2025, remaining unchanged from the previous month to remain relatively close to the record-low of 5.1% last reached two months prior. The result reflected an initial resilience to the labor market during a month of aggressive tariffs announced by the US government on Indian goods. Unemployment inched higher for urban areas of the country (7% vs 6.8% in September), offsetting the decrease in unemployment for rural areas (4.4% vs 4.6%). In the meantime, the overall employment rate rose to 52.5% from 52.4%, while the labor force participation rate inched higher to 55.4% from 55.3%).
2025-11-17