Annexure - I

Considering the need for generation of high frequency labour force indicators with enhanced coverage the sampling methodology of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) has been revamped from January 2025. The revamped PLFS design is envisaged to address the following objectives:

The monthly results are released in the form of Monthly Bulletins of PLFS. The monthly Bulletin for the month April, 2025 have already been released. The present monthly Bulletin for the month of May, 2025 is the second in the series of monthly Bulletins.

A rotational panel sampling design has been adopted in PLFS for both rural and urban areas from January, 2025. In this rotational panel scheme, each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months – one with first visit schedule and other three with the revisit schedule. The scheme of rotation ensures that 75% of the first-stage sampling units (FSUs) are matched between two consecutive months.

At the all-India level, a total number of 7,511 FSUs (4,137 census village or sub-unit as the case may be for rural areas and 3,374 UFS block or sub-unit as the case may be in urban areas) have been surveyed during the quarter May, 2025. The number of households surveyed was 89,372 (49,267 in rural areas and 40,105 in urban areas) and number of persons surveyed was 3,79,600 (2,16,542 in rural areas and 1,63,058 in urban areas)

The Monthly Bulletin for the month May 2025 is available at the website of the Ministry (https://mospi.gov.in). The key results are given in the statements annexed.

The sample design of the Periodic Labour Survey (PLFS) has been revamped from January 2025. As part of revamping of the sample design monthly rotational panel scheme has been implemented for both rural and urban areas wherein each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months – one with first visit schedule and other three with the revisit schedule in the following three months. The aspects related to the multistage stratified design followed in PLFS like the choice of First stage Units (FSU) to be surveyed, the primary geographical unit (i.e. basic stratum) from which FSUs are selected, stratification rules applied to FSUs and sampling selection method for selecting FSUs have been changed. The number of households to be surveyed within a selected FSU has been increased from 8 to 12 households.

In addition, some changes have also been incorporated in the structure of the Schedule of inquiry. The details of the revamped PLFS sample design and changes made in the Schedule of inquiry have been provided in the PLFS release titled PLFS: Changes in 2025. Users of PLFS results need to consider the changes implemented in PLFS from January 2025 while comparing PLFS results with estimates released through PLFS publications up to December, 2024. The results of the PLFS post January 2025 thus need to be understood and used in the context with which the sample selection methodology of PLFS has been designed.

*****

Samrat/Allen

Periodic Press Release