Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) – Annual Report [July, 2023 – June, 2024]
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) – Annual Report [July, 2023 – June, 2024]
Key findings
Considering the importance of availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.
The objective of PLFS is primarily twofold:
Six Annual Reports covering both rural and urban areas giving estimates of all important parameters of employment and unemployment in both usual status (ps+ss) and current weekly status (CWS) have been released. These six Annual Reports are brought out on the basis of data collected in PLFS during July 2017- June 2018, July 2018-June 2019, July 2019-June 2020, July 2020 – June 2021, July 2021-June 2022 and July 2022-June 2023.
Now the seventh Annual Report is being brought out by NSSO on the basis of Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted during July 2023-June 2024.
B. PLFS fieldwork during July 2023 – June 2024
The field work for collection of information in respect of the samples allotted for the period July 2023 – June 2024, was completed timely except for 37 first visit FSU samples (Manipur-21, Madhya Pradesh-4, Tripura-3, Punjab-2, Odisha-1, Chhattisgarh-1, Telangana-2, Maharashtra-1, Gujarat-1, Andhra Pradesh-1) and 80 revisit FSUs which were treated as casualties.
The Annual Report on PLFS 2023-24 is available at the website of the Ministry (https://mospi.gov.in). The key results are given in the statements annexed.
Key Findings of PLFS, Annual Report 2023- 2024
In rural areas, LFPR increased from 50.7% in 2017-18 to 63.7% in 2023-24 while for urban areas it increased from 47.6% to 52.0%. LFPR for male in India increased from 75.8% in 2017-18 to 78.8% in 2023-24 and corresponding increase in LFPR for female was from 23.3% to 41.7%.
Table 1: Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in usual status (ps+ss) for persons of age 15 years and above
all-India
Survey period
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
male
female
person
male
female
person
male
female
person
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
2023-24
80.2
47.6
63.7
75.6
28.0
52.0
78.8
41.7
60.1
2022-23
80.2
41.5
60.8
74.5
25.4
50.4
78.5
37.0
57.9
2021-22
78.2
36.6
57.5
74.7
23.8
49.7
77.2
32.8
55.2
2020-21
78.1
36.5
57.4
74.6
23.2
49.1
77.0
32.5
54.9
2019-20
77.9
33.0
55.5
74.6
23.3
49.3
76.8
30.0
53.5
2018-19
76.4
26.4
51.5
73.7
20.4
47.5
75.5
24.5
50.2
2017-18
76.4
24.6
50.7
74.5
20.4
47.6
75.8
23.3
49.8
Note: (ps+ss) determined considering both principal activity status and subsidiary economic activity status
2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18
In rural areas, WPR increased from 48.1% in 2017-18 to 62.1% in 2023-24 while for urban areas it increased from 43.9% to 49.4%. WPR for male in India increased from 71.2% in 2017-18 to 76.3% in 2023-24 and corresponding increase in WPR for female was from 22.0% to 40.3%.
Table 2: Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in usual status (ps+ss) for persons of age 15 years and above
all-India
Indicator
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
male
female
person
male
female
person
male
female
person
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
2023-24
78.1
46.5
62.1
72.3
26.0
49.4
76.3
40.3
58.2
2022-23
78.0
40.7
59.4
71.0
23.5
47.7
76.0
35.9
56.0
2021-22
75.3
35.8
55.6
70.4
21.9
46.6
73.8
31.7
52.9
2020-21
75.1
35.8
55.5
70.0
21.2
45.8
73.5
31.4
52.6
2019-20
74.4
32.2
53.3
69.9
21.3
45.8
73.0
28.7
50.9
2018-19
72.2
25.5
48.9
68.6
18.4
43.9
71.0
23.3
47.3
2017-18
72.0
23.7
48.1
69.3
18.2
43.9
71.2
22.0
46.8
Note: (ps+ss) determined considering both principal activity status and subsidiary economic activity status
2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18
In rural areas, UR decreased from 5.3% in 2017-18 to 2.5% in 2023-24 while for urban areas it decreased from 7.7% to 5.1%. UR for male in India decreased from 6.1% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24 and corresponding decrease for female was from 5.6% to 3.2%.
Table 3: Unemployment Rate (UR) in usual status (ps+ss) for persons of age 15 years and above
all-India
Indicator
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
male
female
person
male
female
person
male
female
person
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
2023-24
2.7
2.1
2.5
4.4
7.1
5.1
3.2
3.2
3.2
2022-23
2.7
1.8
2.4
4.7
7.5
5.4
3.3
2.9
3.2
2021-22
3.8
2.1
3.2
5.8
7.9
6.3
4.4
3.3
4.1
2020-21
3.8
2.1
3.3
6.1
8.6
6.7
4.5
3.5
4.2
2019-20
4.5
2.6
3.9
6.4
8.9
6.9
5.0
4.2
4.8
2018-19
5.5
3.5
5.0
7.0
9.8
7.6
6.0
5.1
5.8
2017-18
5.7
3.8
5.3
6.9
10.8
7.7
6.1
5.6
6.0
Note: (ps+ss) determined considering both principal activity status and subsidiary economic activity status
2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18
In rural areas, LFPR increased from 48.9% in 2017-18 to 58.9% in 2023-24 while for urban areas it increased from 47.1% to 50.8%. LFPR for male in India increased from 75.1% in 2017-18 to 77.5% in 2023-24 and corresponding increase for female was from 21.1% to 35.6%.
Table 4: Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in current weekly status (CWS) for persons of age 15 years and above
all-India
Survey period
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
male
female
person
male
female
person
male
female
person
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
2023-24
78.7
39.7
58.9
75.0
26.1
50.8
77.5
35.6
56.4
2022-23
78.8
34.6
56.7
73.9
24.0
49.4
77.4
31.6
54.6
2021-22
76.7
29.2
53.0
74.2
22.1
48.6
75.9
27.2
51.7
2020-21
76.7
30.0
53.4
73.8
21.7
48.0
75.8
27.5
51.8
2019-20
76.7
28.3
52.5
73.8
22.1
48.2
75.8
26.3
51.2
2018-19
75.5
22.5
49.1
73.7
19.7
47.1
74.9
21.6
48.5
2017-18
75.6
21.7
48.9
74.1
19.6
47.1
75.1
21.1
48.4
Note: CWS: activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey
2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18
In rural areas, WPR increased from 44.8% in 2017-18 to 56.5% in 2023-24 while for urban areas it increased from 42.6% to 47.4%. WPR for male in India increased from 68.6% in 2017-18 to 73.8% in 2023-24 and corresponding increase for female was from 19.2% to 33.8%.
Table 5: Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in current weekly status (CWS) for persons of age 15 years and above
all-India
Indicator
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
male
female
person
male
female
person
male
female
person
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
2023-24
75.3
38.1
56.5
70.5
23.9
47.4
73.8
33.8
53.7
2022-23
75.2
33.2
54.2
69.3
21.8
46.0
73.5
30.0
51.8
2021-22
71.7
27.9
49.9
68.4
19.9
44.6
70.7
25.6
48.3
2020-21
71.2
28.6
50.0
66.8
19.0
43.1
69.9
25.7
47.9
2019-20
70.1
26.7
48.4
66.0
19.4
43.0
68.8
24.4
46.7
2018-19
69.0
20.9
45.0
67.2
17.4
42.7
68.4
19.8
44.3
2017-18
69.1
20.1
44.8
67.7
17.1
42.6
68.6
19.2
44.1
Note: CWS: activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey
2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18
In rural areas, UR decreased from 8.4% in 2017-18 to 4.2% in 2023-24 while for urban areas it decreased from 9.5% to 6.7%. UR for male in India decreased from 8.7% in 2017-18 to 4.8% in 2023-24 and corresponding decrease for female was from 9.0% to 5.0%.
Table 6: Unemployment Rate (UR) in current weekly status (CWS) for persons of age 15 years and above
all-India
Indicator
Rural
Urban
Rural+Urban
male
female
person
male
female
person
male
female
person
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
2023-24
4.4
3.9
4.2
6.0
8.7
6.7
4.8
5.0
4.9
2022-23
4.6
4.0
4.4
6.3
9.1
7.0
5.1
5.1
5.1
2021-22
6.5
4.5
6.0
7.8
9.9
8.3
6.9
5.8
6.6
2020-21
7.1
4.8
6.5
9.4
12.2
10.1
7.8
6.6
7.5
2019-20
8.7
5.5
7.8
10.5
12.4
11.0
9.3
7.3
8.8
2018-19
8.6
7.3
8.3
8.8
12.1
9.5
8.7
8.7
8.7
2017-18
8.7
7.5
8.4
8.7
12.7
9.5
8.7
9.0
8.7
Note: CWS: activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey
2023-24 refers to the period July 2023 – June 2024 and likewise for 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18
Note: Detailed Results are available at the website of the Ministry (www.mospi.gov.in.)
*****
- A rotational panel sampling design has been used in urban areas. In this rotational panel scheme, each, selected household in urban areas is visited four times, in the beginning with ‘First Visit Schedule’ and thrice periodically later with a ‘Revisit Schedule’. In urban area, samples for a panel within each stratum were drawn in the form of two independent sub-samples. The scheme of rotation ensures that 75% of the first-stage sampling units (FSUs)[1] are matched between two consecutive visits. There was no revisit in the rural samples. For rural areas, samples for a stratum/sub-stratum were drawn randomly in the form of two independent sub-samples. For rural areas, in each quarter of the survey period, 25% FSUs of annual allocation were covered.