Unemployment rate rises to 71-week high as labour participation increases

The estimated number of unemployed persons actively looking for jobs touched almost 31 million in the week ended February 25, the highest count since October 2016

The unemployment rate reached a 71-week high in the week ended February 25. It is possible that February 2018 will end with the highest unemployment rate in the last 15 or 16 months.
 
The unemployment rate has been rising steadily since July 2017. During last July, the unemployment rate had reached its lowest level of 3.4 per cent. The unemployment rate had been falling steeply and almost steadily since the demonetisation in November 2016.
 
The rate rose in August 2017 and continued to rise till it stabilised around 5 per cent between October 2017 and January 2018.