Rural unemployment rises, urban stabilises

The rural unemployment rate in the week ended October 6 was 8.3 per cent and in the second week it was 8.2 per cent

After having remained well below the eight per cent mark in each of the four weeks of September, the unemployment rate has risen above the eight per cent mark in October. During the first two weeks of the month, the unemployment rate was 8.4 per cent and 8.6 per cent, respectively.

The increase has come about because of a reversal of the sharp drop in the unemployment rate in rural India. Unemployment in rural India had dropped to 6 per cent in September after having reached 7.5 per cent in August. At 6 per cent the rural unemployment rate was