India Releases First District-Level Labor Data

India’s National Statistical Office has released the country’s first district-level labor-market estimates, covering labor-force participation, employment, unemployment and youth NEET rates. Among the 100 most populous districts, Surat recorded the highest labor-force participation rate at 68.6% and worker-population ratio at 67.8%, while Darbhanga reported the lowest levels. Unemployment was generally moderate, with South 24 Parganas and Araria recording the lowest rate at 0.9%, followed by Ahmedabad at 1.1%, although some districts—including Jaipur, Srinagar and Patna—reported rates above 10%. The data also showed significant regional differences in women’s participation: 57.8% of districts had a female labor-force participation rate of at least 40%. More than three-quarters of districts had NEET rates below 30% among people aged 15 to 29, with Ernakulam reporting the lowest rate at 9.6%.