New Delhi [India], October 15 : Unemployment among urban youth aged 15–29 years rose to 19 per cent in September 2026, with the rate among young women reaching 26.6 per cent, according to government data released on Thursday.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in its Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Monthly Bulletin for September 2026, reported that urban youth unemployment increased from 18.7 per cent in August to 19 per cent in September, continuing an upward trend since May, when it stood at 17.5 per cent.
Among young urban women, unemployment increased from 26.4 per cent to 26.6 per cent, while the rate among young urban men rose from 16.2 per cent to 16.4 per cent.
At the national level, youth unemployment edged up from 15.1 per cent to 15.2 per cent, while rural youth unemployment declined marginally from 13.3 per cent to 13.2 per cent.
While urban youth unemployment rose, overall urban workforce participation among people aged 15 years and above improved in September.
"Urban workforce participation strengthened across genders," the ministry said in its official press release.
The urban Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of people employed, increased from 47 per cent in August to 47.2 per cent in September, its highest level since October 2025.
Urban female labour force participation also increased from 25.4 per cent to 25.9 per cent, reaching its highest level since October 2025.
The ministry stated, "Urban female LFPR recorded a notable month-on-month increase of 0.5 percentage points, rising from 25.4% to 25.9% and reaching its highest level since October 2025."
However, unemployment among urban women aged 15 years and above also increased from 8.9 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
Meanwhile, India's overall unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5 per cent in September, compared with August, although it declined from 5.2 per cent a year earlier.
"Overall UR (15+ years) remained stable at 5.0% in September 2026, down by 0.2 percentage points from September 2025," the ministry said.
Urban unemployment rose marginally from 6.8 per cent to 6.9 per cent, while rural unemployment increased from 4.1 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
The September PLFS estimates are based on a survey of 3,70,513 people across rural and urban India.