UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Marginal unemployment rate rise, shows Union govt. report

Q1. In which year was the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) launched by the National Sample Survey Office?

  • A. 2011
  • B. 2015
  • C. 2017
  • D. 2019

Q2. The field data collection through which key labour-market indicators such as LFPR, WPR and UR are estimated is operationally carried out by which one of the following?

  • A. Field Operations Division of the National Statistics Office
  • B. Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • C. Directorate General of Employment
  • D. Office of the Registrar General of India

Q3. With reference to the standard definitions of PLFS labour-market indicators, which of the following is/are NOT correctly defined?

  1. Labour Force Participation Rate is the percentage of persons in the labour force in the population.
  2. Worker Population Ratio is the percentage of employed persons in the population.
  3. Unemployment Rate is the percentage of unemployed persons among the persons in the labour force.
  4. Unemployment Rate is the percentage of unemployed persons in the total population.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 2

Q4. With reference to the CWS and Usual Status (UPSS) approaches in PLFS, which of the following is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Current Weekly Status uses a reference period of 7 days preceding the survey.
  2. The Usual Status uses a reference period of 365 days preceding the survey.
  3. The PLFS monthly bulletin uses the Current Weekly Status approach.
  4. The PLFS annual report is compiled only on the Current Weekly Status approach and never on the Usual Status.
  • A. 4 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 2 and 4

Q5. With reference to the PLFS Monthly Bulletin for April 2026, which of the following is/are NOT correct?

  1. The all-India unemployment rate (age 15+) was 5.2%.
  2. The rural unemployment rate rose to 4.6%.
  3. The urban unemployment rate eased to 6.6%.
  4. The Labour Force Participation Rate rose to 55.4%.
  • A. 4 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4

Q6. How many quinquennial Employment-Unemployment Survey rounds were conducted by the NSSO (from the 27th round up to the last such round) before the PLFS took over?

  • A. 7
  • B. 9
  • C. 11
  • D. 5

Q7. How many PLFS Annual Reports covering the July–June survey periods were released before the survey shifted to calendar-year reporting from 2025?

  • A. Five
  • B. Six
  • C. Seven
  • D. Eight

Q8. The PLFS, whose monthly bulletin reports indicators for the reference population of persons aged 15 years and above, is conducted under which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • B. Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • C. Ministry of Rural Development
  • D. Ministry of Home Affairs