Unempolyment rate rises to 5%

Despite the government's repeated claims of creating millions of new jobs, India's jobless rate has fluctuated in recent years. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), an independent think tank that produces economic and business databases for decision making and research, unemployment remains a concern, particularly among urban youth and graduates. In fact, in January 2026, the national unemployment rate edged up to 5.0 % from 4.8 % in December 2025, driven by rising joblessness in both rural (4.2 % vs. 3.9 %) and urban areas (7.0 % US. 6.7 %), according to National Statistics Office which confirm CMIE’s observations

- 

Representational image

New Delhi, Feb 16: The rate of unemployment in the country among persons aged 15 years and above rose to 5 per cent in January this year from 4.8 per cent in December 2025, according to a government survey released Monday.