Number Theory: Who is being added to India’s labour force?

This is the first of a four-part data journalism series on the key trends seen in the Periodic Labour Force Survey

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted between July 2022 and June 2023 was the first one conducted after the Covid-19 pandemic almost completely subsided. Data released from the survey in October shows that key trends in India’s labour market remain the same as during the pandemic: a rise in labour force participation, a fall in the headline unemployment rate, an increase in unpaid work, and a shift in work to rural areas. That indicates these trends may be here to stay, which makes it worth to unpack them. In a four-part data journalism series, HT will seek to do just that. The first part describes the growth of India’s labour force.

Data released from the survey in October shows that key trends in India’s labour market remain the same as during the pandemic(PTI)