In Lok Sabha, Govt Says Unemployment Rate Almost Doubled Between 2013-14 and 2017-18

New Delhi: In a reply to Congress MP Kodikkunnil Suresh in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday said that the unemployment rate in the country has increased from 3.4 percent in 2013-14 to 6 percent in 2017-18, the highest in 45 years.

According to the reply, the unemployment rate stood at 3.7% in 2015-16.

Meanwhile, government data released last month showed that the urban unemployment rate between January-March 2019 stood at 9.3 percent. During April-June 2018, it stood at 9.8 percent.

The data showed that unemployment rate in urban areas among males was estimated at 8.7 per cent during January-March 2019 as compared to 9 per cent during April-June 2018.

For women, the UR was at 11.6 per cent during the reported period as against 12.8 per cent during April-June 2018.

The government had been receiving a lot of criticism for high unemployment rates amid slowing economic growth.

The statement last month pointed out that the overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) was estimated as 36 per cent in the urban areas during January-March 2019, as compared to 35.6 per cent during April- June 2018.

The LFPR for men was estimated to be 56.2 per cent, while for women it was at 15 per cent in the urban areas during the January-March 2019 period.