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.