Alarming Rise in Unemployment Rates in India

India’s unemployment rate reached a one-year high of 8.3% in August, with employment dropping by 2 million to 394.6 million, according to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

In July, the unemployment rate was 6.8% with 397 million employed, as per CMIE data.

CMIE managing director Mahesh Vyas noted that urban unemployment is typically higher at around 8%, while rural unemployment is usually about 7%. However, in August, urban unemployment rose to 9.6% and rural unemployment increased to 7.7% due to erratic rainfall affecting sowing activities in rural areas.

The rural unemployment rate in August increased from 6.1% in July to 7.7%, while the employment rate dropped from 37.6% to 37.3%.

Vyas mentioned that the rural unemployment rate may decrease as delayed monsoon will boost agricultural activities towards the end of the season, but the future of urban unemployment remains uncertain.

In August, Haryana had the highest unemployment rate at 37.3%, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 32.8%, Rajasthan at 31.4%, Jharkhand at 17.3%, and Tripura at 16.3%, according to the data. Conversely, unemployment was lowest in Sikkim at 0.4%, followed by Meghalaya at 2%, Maharashtra at 2.2%, and Gujarat and Odisha at 2.6% each.