India’s urban unemployment rate fell to 9.8% for the July to September 2021 period, down from 13.2% during the same period in 2020, according to the latest periodic labour survey published this week by the Government of India’s Ministry of Statistics.

The 13.2% rate from 2020 was impacted by Covid-19 restrictions. When compared to the previous three-month period, the unemployment rate fell by 2.8% in September 2021.

Meanwhile, the jobless rate for women during the September 2021 period stood at 11.6%, down from 15.8% the year prior and down from 14.3% over the quarter. The jobless rate for men stood at 9.3%, down from 12.6% in September 2020 and down from 12.2% in the previous quarter.

The labour force participation rate stood at 46.9%, down from 47.2% during the same period in 2020 and up from 46.8% in the previous quarter.