On Friday, the National Statistical Office released its first district‑level labour market estimates under the revamped Periodic Labour Force Survey. The data cover labour force participation rates, worker population ratios, unemployment rates, and NEET rates for every district, the first time such granular information is available. Roughly 98 percent of districts report participation rates between 40 and 80 percent, but a wide spread remains in the female segment.
Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh tops the female participation chart with 80.9 percent, followed by Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir at 71.4 percent, Mayurbhanj in Odisha at 71.8 percent, and Surguja in Chhattisgarh at 69 percent. At the other end, East Delhi lags at 18.9 percent, Siwan in Bihar at 24.7 percent, and Patiala in Punjab at 39.3 percent. The gap between the best and worst districts exceeds 60 percentage points.
Unemployment rates also vary, yet most districts stay within a moderate range. Forty‑three point one percent of districts record rates between 0.5 and 3 percent, while 34.7 percent fall between 3 and 5.5 percent. Only 14.9 percent exceed 5.5 percent, and a modest 7.2 percent report rates below 0.5 percent. South 24 Parganas, Araria, and Ahmedabad are the three districts with the lowest unemployment, hovering around 0.9 to 1.1 percent.
Youth engagement shows a similar pattern. Seventy‑six point two percent of districts have NEET rates below 30 percent, but 23.7 percent cross that threshold. Ernakulam in Kerala records the lowest NEET figure at 9.6 percent, followed by Coimbatore at 14.5 percent and Bengaluru Urban at 15 percent. The variation highlights gaps in training and employment opportunities for the 15‑29 age group.
The Ministry of Labour will analyse these findings to design targeted skill‑development and employment schemes for the most disadvantaged districts. The data are expected to inform policy reviews in the coming months, with a focus on narrowing the gender gap and boosting youth employment.