Women’s higher joblessness is seen as indicative of existence of structural barriers such as low availability of safe and regular work
Published Dec 17, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 17, 2025 | 9:00 AM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh continues to face high unemployment, with PLFS data for July–September 2025 showing joblessness at 8.2%, well above the national average. Rural areas are worse affected than urban, and women face disproportionately higher unemployment. The figures highlight persistent agrarian distress, limited non-farm jobs, and structural barriers restricting female workforce participation.
In a disconcerting symptom of a deeper malaise, the unemployment problem continues to be a serious concern in Andhra Pradesh, with fresh government data placing the state’s joblessness rate above the all‑India average for several key categories.
The latest figures from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for July–September 2025, tabled in the Rajya Sabha, underline the scale of the challenge facing policymakers in the state.
In a written reply to an unstarred question on job seekers on Monday, 15 December, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation informed Parliament that the National Statistics Office tracks unemployment indicators through the PLFS.
The reply clarified that the Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Unemployment Rate are estimated for persons aged 15 years and above, and state‑wise figures are compiled on the basis of current weekly status.
The Ministry also pointed to the National Career Service portal of the Labour and Employment Ministry, which has registered more than 6.02 crore jobseekers and over 54.27 lakh employers nationwide since its inception, reflecting the scale of demand for jobs across India. However, the state‑level PLFS numbers show that such platforms have not yet translated into adequate employment opportunities in several states, including Andhra Pradesh.
According to Annexure III of the reply, Andhra Pradesh’s overall unemployment rate for persons aged 15 and above (rural plus urban combined) stood at 8.2 percent in the July–September 2025 quarter, against the all‑India average of 5.2 percent. The rural unemployment rate in the state was 8.5 percent, while urban unemployment was 7.7 percent, indicating that joblessness is marginally more severe in villages than in towns and cities.
The gender break‑up shows that women are disproportionately affected. In rural Andhra Pradesh, the unemployment rate for females was as high as 10.5 percent, compared to 7.3 percent for males; in urban areas, female unemployment was 9.3 percent, against 7.0 percent for males. Overall, the combined rural‑urban unemployment rate for women in the state reached 10.1 percent, significantly above the national female average of 5.2 percent.
The relatively higher rural unemployment rate is considered an indication of continuance of persistent agrarian distress and limited diversification into non‑farm livelihoods in many districts.
With agriculture increasingly unable to absorb surplus labour, the lack of adequate manufacturing and service‑sector growth in small towns appears to be pushing more youth into open unemployment or precarious casual work.
Women’s higher joblessness is seen as indicative of existence of structural barriers such as low availability of safe and regular work, social norms restricting mobility, and inadequate support services like childcare in rural and semi‑urban areas.
The PLFS definition estimates as unemployed those who are not working but are seeking or available for work, suggesting that a growing number of women in Andhra Pradesh are actively looking for jobs but not finding them.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
