The overall unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above declined to 4.7 per cent in November 2025 from 5.2 per cent in October 2025, the lowest level recorded since April this year, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said in a press release on Monday, citing the latest findings of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistical Office.
“In November 2025, the rural unemployment rate fell to a new low of 3.9 per cent, while the urban unemployment rate declined to 6.5 per cent, matching its previous lowest level recorded in April 2025,” the statement said.
Women see stronger drop in unemployment
Unemployment rates among both men and women also showed a decline during the month. Among females aged 15 years and above, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 per cent in November from 5.4 per cent in October.
“This decline was driven by reductions in both rural and urban female unemployment rates, which fell to 3.4 per cent from 4 per cent and to 9.3 per cent from 9.7 per cent, respectively,” the statement said.
The overall male unemployment rate decreased to 4.6 per cent in November 2025 from 5.1 per cent in the previous month. In rural areas, male unemployment stood at 4.1 per cent, while in urban areas it eased to 5.6 per cent, compared with 4.6 per cent and 6.1 per cent, respectively, in October.
The government further said that unemployment rates showed a steady and broad-based decline across males, females, and all persons between April and November 2025.
The reduction was more pronounced in rural areas, where both male and female unemployment reached their lowest levels in November. Urban unemployment remained higher but showed improvement towards the end of the period, according to the statement.
Workforce strengthens across sectors
The survey also pointed to an improvement in the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons aged 15 years and above.
In rural areas, the WPR increased to 56.3 per cent in November 2025 from 55.4 per cent in April 2025. The overall WPR rose to 53.2 per cent in November from 52.8 per cent in October.
“Urban WPR remained largely stable. Notably, rural female WPR improved from 36.8 per cent in April 2025 to 38.4 per cent in November 2025, driving the rise in overall female WPR from 32.5 per cent to 33.4 per cent,” the statement said.
Female labour force participation maintains upward momentum
Female participation in the labour force continued to improve through the year. According to the survey, the overall female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) rose steadily from June to November 2025.
“Female LFPR increased to 35.1 per cent in November 2025 from 32.0 per cent in June 2025, driven mainly by higher participation in rural areas, while urban female LFPR remained relatively stable,” the statement said.
Labour Force Participation Rate continues to rise
The overall LFPR among persons aged 15 years and above increased to 55.8 per cent in November 2025, the highest level recorded since April 2025.
“Compared with the previous month, rural LFPR increased from 57.8 per cent to 58.6 per cent, while urban LFPR declined marginally to 50.4 per cent from 50.5 per cent,” the statement said.
“Overall, the trends suggest strengthening labour market conditions, supported by gains in rural employment, rising female participation, and a gradual recovery in urban labour demand,” it added.
