Unemployment rate in country stands at 5% in September, stable compared to August: NSO

The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), for persons aged 15 years and above, remained at 55.5% in September, compared to 55.6% in August. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Unemployment Rate (UR) in the country stood at 5% in September, stable compared to August, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said here in a release on Thursday that the rural UR remained “broadly stable” at 4.2%, against 4.1% in August, while urban UR marginally rose from 6.8% in August to 6.9% in this month. “Compared with September 2025, the overall UR declined by 0.2 percentage points and reached at 5% in September 2026. Rural UR declined by 0.4 percentage points, from 4.6% in September, 2025 to 4.2% in September 2026. UR in urban areas remained broadly stable from 6.8% in September 2025 to 6.9% in September 2026,” the Ministry said.