Rural job losses up marginally in peak season
NEW DELHI: India’s urban unemployment rate remained sticky, falling by a meagre 0.6 percentage point in the week ended 28 June from the previous week, with industrial production yet to pick up pace in the face of a fresh round of lockdown in parts of the country. Economists said the pain will linger.
The urban unemployment rate was 10.69% in the week to 28 June, marginally lower than the 11.29% recorded in the week to 21 June, according to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. Urban unemployment at 10.69% is still much higher than in pre-lockdown weeks.
Rural unemployment and overall national unemployment climbed up marginally for the first time in six weeks. The rural unemployment rate climbed to 7.62% from 7.26% in the previous week.
Economists ascribed high joblessness to the fact that industrial belts are not running to capacity, and to renewed lockdowns in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal. PRASHANT K NANDA