The country’s unemployment rate stood at 5.1% in April 2025, according to the newly released monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation. This marks the first time that unemployment data has been released on a monthly basis, as part of efforts to enable real-time monitoring of the labour market.
The data, based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach, reveals that the overall unemployment rate for persons of all ages was 5.1% last month. Unemployment among men was marginally higher at 5.2%, while it stood at 5% among women.
The report highlighted a significantly higher unemployment rate among the youth aged 15–29 years, which stood at 13.8% nationally. Urban areas reported a much higher joblessness rate at 17.2% compared to 12.3% in rural regions.
When broken down by gender, unemployment among young women (15–29 years) reached 14.4% across the country, peaking at 23.7% in urban centres and 10.7% in villages. For young men in the same age group, the unemployment rate was recorded at 13.6% nationally, with urban areas at 15% and rural areas at 13%.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for individuals aged 15 years and above was estimated at 55.6% in April 2025. Participation in rural areas was higher at 58%, compared to 50.7% in urban areas. Among males aged 15 and above, the LFPR was 79% in rural and 75.3% in urban areas. For females, the LFPR in rural regions was 38.2%.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of employed individuals in the total population, stood at 52.8% at the national level. Rural areas had a WPR of 55.4%, while in urban areas it was 47.4%. Among females aged 15 and above, the WPR was 36.8% in rural and 23.5% in urban areas, with an overall female WPR of 32.5% nationwide.
To meet the growing need for high-frequency labour market indicators, the PLFS sampling methodology was revised from January 2025. In April alone, 7,511 first-stage sampling units were surveyed across the country, reflecting a comprehensive national coverage.
