Job Stats Go Monthly: India’s Labour Force Survey Gets a Fast-Track Upgrade

Image Source: IASToppers

India will take a major step towards labour market transparency with the release of its first monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) bulletin for April 2025, due in May 2025. This breaks with the past practice of quarterly and annual releases, seeking to deliver more timely, detailed, and credible insights into the country's employment situation.

For the first time, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will publish monthly unemployment and labour force statistics from May 15, 2025. This move is likely to improve the quality and frequency of labour market data, helping policymakers, economists, and the public monitor employment trends better.

1. Launch Details and Schedule

The initial monthly PLFS bulletin for April 2025 will be published in May 2025, according to the Advance Release Calendar on official lines.
The first release on May 15, 2025, will cover data for January, February, and March 2025; later reports will be issued monthly.

2. Change From Earlier Reporting Habits

Up to now, urban unemployment figures were released quarterly, whereas combined rural and urban data were published once a year.
The new system will deliver standalone, monthly figures for urban and rural regions, providing district-level information.

3. Improved Data Collection and Quality

The sample size for the PLFS has been expanded to 22,000 households from 16,000 to minimize the margin of error and enhance representativeness.
The use of digital and automated data collection methods has been introduced for faster and more precise reporting.
Internal consistency checks are being conducted routinely to ensure data quality.

4. Broader Policy and Analytical Impact

More timely and targeted policy responses will be made possible with monthly data, particularly with rapidly evolving economic conditions.
The shift brings India at par with international standards of high-frequency labour market reporting, plugging a serious gap in official statistics.
Policymakers will have more timely and detailed information with which to tackle urban as well as rural employment issues.

5. Additional Statistical Initiatives

From next year onwards, results from a new survey of service sector enterprises will also be released.
Initiatives are being taken to release quarterly data on the informal sector and to initiate quarterly rural labour force surveys.

6. Latest Employment Trends

The most recent available PLFS data indicated an aggregate unemployment rate of 4.9% for persons aged 15 years and above in 2024, compared with 5.0% in 2023.
Urban unemployment (Oct–Dec 2024) stood at 6.4%, while rural unemployment was 4.2%.

Conclusion

The launching of monthly PLFS bulletins is a milestone reform in India's statistical system, with the potential to bring more regular, reliable, and actionable information into the nation's evolving labour market. The move has the potential to enhance evidence-based policy-making and promote enhanced transparency in employment statistics.

Sources: Press Information Bureau, Business Standard, MoSPI Advance Release Calendar, India Today, Business Today, Economic Times