India’s unemployment rate rises to 5.6 percent in May: Govt report

India’s unemployment rate rose to 5.6 percent in May from 5.1 percent in April, mainly due to a slowdown in farming after the harvest season, according to a government report from the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

This was only the second time the government released monthly labour data for both urban and rural areas. Earlier, job data was shared quarterly for cities and once a year for the whole country.

The Indian economy grew 7.4 percent in the January–March quarter and is expected to grow by 6.5 percent in the current financial year.

The unemployment rate for women was slightly higher at 5.8 percent in May, compared to 5.6 percent for men.

Among urban youth aged 15 to 29, the jobless rate rose to 17.9 percent in May from 17.2 percent in April. In rural areas, it went up from 12.3 percent to 13.7 percent

Fewer people were working in agriculture in May (43.5 percent) than in April (45.9 percent), as jobs moved to manufacturing and services after the harvest season.

The drop in farm activity also reduced job opportunities for rural women, with their labour force participation rate falling to 27.8 percent in May from 28.8 percent in April, according to the data.

Meanwhile, India’s manufacturing sector growth slowed to a three-month low in May due to weaker demand, rising prices, and global tensions, a recent survey revealed.

(With PTI inputs)