Labor Force Participation Rises as Unemployment Slips in July

The latest labour statistics released on August 17 reveal that July 2026 experienced a fall in the unemployment rate to 5.1 percent for the population aged 15 and above. This decline was observed on both an annual and a monthly basis, indicating a gradual strengthening of the employment market.

Both genders reported lower unemployment percentages compared with June, highlighting a balanced improvement. In the countryside, the unemployment rate fell from 5.0 to 4.5 percent, while cities recorded a marginally lower rate of 6.7 percent, down slightly from 6.6 percent.

Year‑on‑year figures show that the overall unemployment rate has remained relatively flat, but the urban rate has decreased by half a point, moving from 7.2 percent in July 2025 to 6.7 percent now.

The labour force participation rate (LFPR) for those 15 years and older rose to 55.4 percent in July, up from 54.4 percent in June. Rural LFPR surged to 58 percent, a 1.4‑point gain, while urban LFPR edged up to 50.4 percent from 50.1 percent.

Women’s labour metrics improved sharply. Female LFPR rose to 34.4 percent, an increase of 1.7 points over the previous month’s 32.7 percent. The workforce‑participation ratio (WPR) for the 15‑plus cohort increased to 52.5 percent, the first rise since February 2026. Rural women’s WPR climbed to 37.2 percent, and urban women’s WPR to 23.1 percent.