India’s jobless rate improves to 5.2% in July-Sept quarter on rural hiring and female labour uptake

India’s unemployment rate eased to 5.2 % in the July-September 2025 quarter, down from 5.4 % previously, driven by higher rural employment and increased female workforce participation. Rural unemployment declined to 4.4 % from 4.8 %, while urban jobless rate ticked up slightly to 6.9 %. The worker population ratio improved to 52.2 %. The uptick in rural wage employment, especially during the harvest and post-harvest season, helped absorb seasonal labour. The data reflects gradual improvement in the labour market and supports hopes of stronger consumer demand ahead.