SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir recorded an unemployment rate of 9.4 per cent during July-September 2026, the highest among the states and Union Territories covered in the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), with youth unemployment reaching 26.2 per cent against the national average of 15.3 per cent, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The PLFS Quarterly Bulletin shows that unemployment among persons aged 15 years and above in Jammu and Kashmir was nearly twice the national rate of 5.1 per cent. The figures also reveal substantial disparities in employment opportunities across gender, age groups and rural and urban areas.
Urban unemployment stood at 14.1 per cent, compared with 8.3 per cent in rural areas. The corresponding national unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent in urban areas and 4.4 per cent in rural areas.
Women recorded a higher unemployment rate than men, with the overall female rate standing at 14 per cent against 6.6 per cent among men.
The disparity was more pronounced in urban areas, where female unemployment reached 31.3 per cent, compared with 8.2 per cent among men. In rural areas, the corresponding rates were 11.5 per cent and 6.2 per cent.
Among people aged 15-29, unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir stood at 26.2 per cent, substantially above the national average of 15.3 per cent.
The youth unemployment rate was 35.8 per cent in urban areas and 24.3 per cent in rural areas. Among young women, it stood at 38 per cent, compared with 19.4 per cent among young men.
The urban gender gap was particularly wide, with unemployment among women aged 15-29 reaching 65.3 per cent against 24.4 per cent among men. In rural areas, the corresponding rates were 34 per cent and 18.3 per cent.
Despite the high unemployment figures, Jammu and Kashmir’s Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) stood at 60.5 per cent among persons aged 15 years and above, higher than the national average of 55.5 per cent.
The LFPR, which measures the proportion of the population either employed or seeking and available for work, was 75.4 per cent among men and 45.5 per cent among women in the Union Territory.
Rural labour force participation stood at 62.5 per cent, against 53.1 per cent in urban areas. The rural male and female participation rates were 75.3 per cent and 49.8 per cent, respectively, while the corresponding urban rates were 75.8 per cent and 28.3 per cent.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of the population that is employed, stood at 54.9 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir, compared with 52.7 per cent nationally.
The ratio was 70.4 per cent among men and 39.1 per cent among women. It stood at 57.3 per cent in rural areas and 45.6 per cent in urban areas.
Among young people, the WPR was 35.3 per cent, marginally above the national average of 34.9 per cent. The youth employment ratio was 47.6 per cent among men and 22.3 per cent among women.
The survey also showed that agriculture remained the largest source of employment in Jammu and Kashmir, accounting for 39.1 per cent of employed persons aged 15 years and above.
The services sector accounted for 33.6 per cent of employment, while the secondary sector, comprising manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, contributed 27.3 per cent.
The dependence on agriculture was particularly high among employed women, with 74.6 per cent working in the sector, compared with 19.5 per cent of employed men.
Among men, services accounted for 44.5 per cent of employment and the secondary sector for 35.9 per cent. Among women, the corresponding shares were 13.7 per cent and 11.7 per cent.
In rural areas, agriculture accounted for 44.5 per cent of employment, followed by the secondary sector at 28.1 per cent and services at 27.4 per cent.
The urban employment structure was dominated by services, which accounted for 63.4 per cent of jobs. The secondary sector contributed 23.6 per cent, while agriculture accounted for 12.9 per cent.
Among employed urban women, 49.6 per cent worked in services, 36.9 per cent in agriculture and 13.5 per cent in the secondary sector.
A comparison with other states and Union Territories showed that Jammu and Kashmir’s overall unemployment rate of 9.4 per cent was higher than Kerala’s 8.7 per cent, Punjab’s 7.8 per cent and Himachal Pradesh’s 5.9 per cent.
In the youth category, Kerala recorded a higher unemployment rate of 28.9 per cent, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 26.4 per cent and Jammu and Kashmir at 26.2 per cent.
At the national level, youth unemployment stood at 15.3 per cent, with rural and urban rates of 13.6 per cent and 18.9 per cent, respectively.
The PLFS estimates are based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach. Under this methodology, a person is classified as unemployed if they did not work for even one hour on any day during the reference week but sought or were available for work for at least one hour on any day during that period.
The survey covered 198 first-stage units and 2,373 households in Jammu and Kashmir, with 10,713 persons surveyed during the July-September 2026 quarter.
