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India Labour Observatory

India Labour ObservatoryData & Methods PLFS 2025Outside the labour force

Outside the labour force

Why people neither work nor seek it, what they do instead, and why those who once worked stopped.

5 tables, from the records of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, January to December 2025, each cell with its standard error. 2 of the 2 figures of this section that MoSPI's press note prints are reproduced at the printed decimal.

Table 11.1Persons out of the labour force by main reason, all ages

Persons of all ages out of the labour force in usual status (ps+ss). per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Lacked the training, qualification or age for work	8.10.2	4.40.1	5.70.1	9.80.3	5.60.2	7.10.2	4.80.2	2.30.1	3.10.1
No work at a convenient place	0.10.0	0.50.0	0.40.0	0.10.0	0.60.1	0.40.0	0.10.0	0.30.0	0.30.0
Health or age	17.90.2	10.50.1	13.10.1	16.20.2	11.50.1	13.10.1	21.40.3	8.80.1	13.00.1
To continue studying	69.80.2	34.10.2	46.50.2	70.40.3	36.30.2	48.50.2	68.60.3	30.30.2	42.90.2
Social reasons	0.10.0	2.40.1	1.60.1	0.10.0	2.50.1	1.70.1	0.10.0	2.10.1	1.50.1
Financially well off	0.40.0	0.60.0	0.50.0	0.20.0	0.50.0	0.40.0	0.80.1	0.90.0	0.90.0
Child care, or personal commitments in home-making	0.50.0	44.40.2	29.10.1	0.40.0	40.00.3	25.80.2	0.60.0	52.50.2	35.40.2
Other	3.10.1	3.00.1	3.00.1	2.90.1	3.10.1	3.00.1	3.50.1	2.70.1	3.00.1

Table 11.2Persons aged 15+ out of the labour force by main reason

Persons aged 15+ out of the labour force in usual status (ps+ss). per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Lacked the training, qualification or age for work	1.20.1	0.80.0	0.90.0	1.30.1	0.90.1	1.00.1	1.10.1	0.50.0	0.70.0
No work at a convenient place	0.20.0	0.70.0	0.50.0	0.20.0	0.80.1	0.70.1	0.20.0	0.40.0	0.40.0
Health or age	37.50.3	14.10.1	20.10.1	36.80.4	16.20.2	21.40.2	38.70.4	10.90.2	17.90.2
To continue studying	55.30.3	17.20.1	26.90.1	56.90.4	18.00.2	27.90.2	52.80.5	16.10.2	25.30.2
Social reasons	0.10.0	3.20.1	2.40.1	0.10.0	3.50.2	2.60.1	0.20.0	2.60.1	2.00.1
Financially well off	0.80.0	0.80.0	0.80.0	0.40.0	0.60.1	0.60.0	1.50.1	1.10.1	1.20.1
Child care, or personal commitments in home-making	1.00.1	60.00.2	45.00.2	0.90.1	56.60.3	42.40.3	1.10.1	65.40.3	49.20.2
Other	3.80.1	3.20.1	3.40.1	3.40.2	3.40.1	3.40.1	4.40.2	2.90.1	3.30.1

Table 11.3Persons aged 15+ out of the labour force by activity

Persons aged 15+ out of the labour force in usual status (ps+ss). per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Attending education	56.00.3	17.50.1	27.20.2	57.60.4	18.20.2	28.30.2	53.40.5	16.20.2	25.60.2
Domestic duties only	4.50.1	56.80.2	43.50.2	4.00.2	51.00.3	39.00.3	5.20.2	66.00.3	50.70.2
Domestic duties and free collection of goods	1.10.1	14.00.2	10.70.1	1.40.1	18.00.3	13.80.2	0.60.1	7.60.2	5.90.1
Rentier, pensioner or remittance recipient	22.00.3	8.10.1	11.60.1	18.60.3	8.50.2	11.10.2	27.30.4	7.40.1	12.40.2
Unable to work owing to disability	9.30.2	1.90.0	3.80.1	10.80.3	2.20.1	4.40.1	7.00.2	1.30.0	2.80.1
Others	7.20.2	1.80.1	3.10.1	7.60.2	2.00.1	3.40.1	6.50.2	1.30.1	2.60.1

Table 11.4Persons aged 15+ not working in the year who had worked before

Persons aged 15+ who did not work in the last 365 days. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
All	35.70.3	18.20.2	22.90.2	33.30.4	19.80.3	23.40.2	39.40.4	15.80.3	22.20.2

Table 11.5Why people who had worked before were not working in the year

Persons aged 15+ who had worked before the last 365 days but not in them. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Retrenched or laid off	0.90.1	0.10.0	0.50.0	0.50.1	0.10.0	0.20.0	1.60.2	0.20.0	0.90.1
Contract ended, or quit	3.40.2	1.70.1	2.40.1	2.80.2	1.30.1	1.90.1	4.10.2	2.30.2	3.10.2
The enterprise stopped	0.30.0	0.10.0	0.20.0	0.20.0	0.10.0	0.10.0	0.40.1	0.20.1	0.30.0
No work in the area	1.20.1	0.80.1	1.00.1	1.10.1	0.60.1	0.80.1	1.40.2	1.10.2	1.20.1
Retired	24.90.4	3.90.2	12.80.2	13.40.5	1.80.2	6.30.3	40.10.6	8.10.4	23.50.4
Child care	0.10.0	8.60.3	5.00.2	0.10.0	7.70.3	4.80.2	0.10.0	10.30.5	5.40.3
Other household responsibilities	1.10.1	32.40.5	19.20.3	1.10.2	28.80.6	18.10.4	1.00.1	39.30.8	20.90.4
Health	63.60.5	48.50.5	54.90.4	76.80.6	55.40.7	63.60.5	46.20.7	34.80.6	40.30.5
No financial need	0.40.0	0.50.1	0.50.0	0.30.0	0.40.1	0.40.0	0.60.1	0.80.1	0.70.1
Other	4.00.2	3.50.2	3.70.1	3.70.3	3.80.3	3.70.2	4.50.3	2.90.2	3.70.2

Computed by the India Labour Observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, January to December 2025; Release 2026.10.