Unemployment rates are trotting back to the record levels reached during the national lockdown last year, as several states have imposed severe restrictions in the face of the deadly second wave of Covid-19.
All India weekly unemployment inched up to 14.73% in the week ended May 23 from 14.45% recorded earlier, as per data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The unemployment rate in India in May has been almost twice the rate recorded in early April (8.16%).
Urban unemployment soared to 17.41% from 14.71% in the previous week but the situation in rural areas improved as the unemployment fell to 13.52% from 14.34%.