India's unemployment rate rises to 7.83% In April; Joblessness highest in Haryana: Report

The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.83 per cent in April from 7.60 per cent in March, news agency Reuters reported quoting data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) on Sunday.

As per the report, the unemployment rate in urban areas rose to 9.22 per cent in April from 8.28 per cent the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate slipped to 7.18 per cent from 7.29 per cent.

According to CMIE's data, the highest unemployment rate was recorded in the northern state of Haryana at 34.5 per cent, followed by 28.8 per cent in Rajasthan and 21.1 per cent in Bihar.

Meanwhile, the joblessness was lowest in Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Assam, where the unemployment rate stood at a minuscule 0.2 per cent, 0.6 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.

Job opportunities In India have been hit by sluggish domestic demand and the slow pace of economic recovery amid rising prices.

The data from the Mumbai-based CMIE is closely watched by economists and policymakers as the government does not release its own monthly figures.

They have also been watching the falling labour participation rate the proportion of people in employment or seeking work among the working population.

That slipped to 39.5 per cent in March 2022 from 43.7 per cent in March 2019, according to CMIE's earlier data, as millions lost jobs during the pandemic.

However, the government refuted the claim and said it would be factually wrong to infer that half of the working-age population has lost hope for work.

The government said that the working-age population had dropped out of the labour force as a large proportion was pursuing education or engaged in unpaid activities such as caregiving.