India to start monthly unemployment data release

Mumbai

India will begin releasing unemployment data every month starting May 15, shifting from the earlier quarterly system. This move is aimed at giving quicker and clearer insights into the country’s employment situation, officials said on Monday.

The first release on May 15 will cover the months of January, February, and March. After that, unemployment data will be published every month. This marks the first time India is adopting a monthly reporting format, similar to systems used in major global economies.

Until now, the government released urban unemployment figures quarterly, and combined rural-urban figures only once a year. A senior official from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation explained that the new data collection method is statistically strong and includes careful checks for accuracy.

The government is also planning several new data initiatives. By the end of April, it will publish private capital expenditure data. From next year, a new survey will provide information on service sector enterprises.

Officials are also preparing to release quarterly data for India’s informal sector, based on an annual survey. Additionally, a new system for tracking rural labour force trends every quarter is in progress.

“Data is the new oil,” the official said, stressing the need for information that is timely, accurate, and transparent. Indian data is seen as credible and trustworthy worldwide, he added.