UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Press Note on Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Monthly Bulletin August 2026

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the survey it replaced: 1. PLFS was launched in April 2017 in place of the earlier quinquennial Employment–Unemployment Surveys, and its first Annual Report, covering July 2017 – June 2018, was released in May 2019. 2. Up to December 2024, PLFS quarterly bulletins in the Current Weekly Status covered urban areas only, whereas its annual estimates covered both rural and urban areas. 3. PLFS estimates are directly comparable with the results of the Employment–Unemployment Survey of 2011-12 and earlier rounds. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. PLFS was launched in April 2017 in place of the earlier quinquennial Employment–Unemployment Surveys, and its first Annual Report, covering July 2017 – June 2018, was released in May 2019.
  2. Up to December 2024, PLFS quarterly bulletins in the Current Weekly Status covered urban areas only, whereas its annual estimates covered both rural and urban areas.
  3. PLFS estimates are directly comparable with the results of the Employment–Unemployment Survey of 2011-12 and earlier rounds.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Under the revamped PLFS sample design in force since January 2025, how many First Stage Units with the first-visit schedule are planned to be surveyed in each year of the two-year panel?

  • A. 12,800 First Stage Units, of which 7,024 are rural
  • B. 22,692 First Stage Units, of which 12,504 are rural
  • C. 22,594 First Stage Units, of which 12,441 are rural
  • D. 10,188 First Stage Units, of which 5,094 are rural

Q3. Of the three headline indicators published in the PLFS monthly bulletins — Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Unemployment Rate — how many are defined as a percentage of the population rather than as a percentage of the labour force?

  • A. Only one
  • B. Only two
  • C. All three
  • D. None

Q4. Estimates of the Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Unemployment Rate for India are compiled and released every month by which one of the following?

  • A. The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • B. The National Statistical Commission, an advisory body under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • C. The National Statistical Office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • D. The Directorate General of Employment, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment

Q5. The coverage of NSO's quarterly PLFS estimates in the Current Weekly Status was extended from urban areas alone to rural areas as well with effect from which one of the following?

  • A. April 2017
  • B. May 2019
  • C. January 2025
  • D. January 2026

Q6. Consider the following statements about the activity-status approaches used in the Periodic Labour Force Survey: 1. Under the Current Weekly Status approach, a person's activity status is determined with reference to the seven days preceding the date of survey. 2. Under the Usual Status (ps+ss) approach, activity status is determined with reference to the thirty days preceding the date of survey, taking the usual principal status and the subsidiary status together. 3. The PLFS Annual Report gives estimates in both Usual Status (ps+ss) and Current Weekly Status, whereas the monthly bulletins give estimates in the Current Weekly Status alone. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Under the Current Weekly Status approach, a person's activity status is determined with reference to the seven days preceding the date of survey.
  2. Under the Usual Status (ps+ss) approach, activity status is determined with reference to the thirty days preceding the date of survey, taking the usual principal status and the subsidiary status together.
  3. The PLFS Annual Report gives estimates in both Usual Status (ps+ss) and Current Weekly Status, whereas the monthly bulletins give estimates in the Current Weekly Status alone.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. With reference to the sample design of the Periodic Labour Force Survey in force since January 2025, consider the following: 1. The sampling frame for selecting First Stage Units is formed by the list of Census 2011 villages, Urban Frame Survey blocks and their sub-units. 2. The number of households to be surveyed within a selected First Stage Unit has been increased from 8 to 12. 3. Each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months — once with the first-visit schedule and thrice with the revisit schedule. 4. The scheme of rotation ensures that 50 per cent of the First Stage Units are matched between two consecutive months. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The sampling frame for selecting First Stage Units is formed by the list of Census 2011 villages, Urban Frame Survey blocks and their sub-units.
  2. The number of households to be surveyed within a selected First Stage Unit has been increased from 8 to 12.
  3. Each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months — once with the first-visit schedule and thrice with the revisit schedule.
  4. The scheme of rotation ensures that 50 per cent of the First Stage Units are matched between two consecutive months.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. Consider the following statements comparing the Periodic Labour Force Survey before and after the January 2025 revamp: 1. Monthly estimates of the Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Unemployment Rate at the all-India level for rural and urban areas were not generated before the revamp. 2. Following the revamp, PLFS has entirely discontinued annual estimates in the Usual Status and now relies exclusively on the Current Weekly Status for all its releases. 3. Users have been advised that PLFS results from January 2025 onwards are not comparable with the estimates released through PLFS publications up to December 2024. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Monthly estimates of the Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Unemployment Rate at the all-India level for rural and urban areas were not generated before the revamp.
  2. Following the revamp, PLFS has entirely discontinued annual estimates in the Usual Status and now relies exclusively on the Current Weekly Status for all its releases.
  3. Users have been advised that PLFS results from January 2025 onwards are not comparable with the estimates released through PLFS publications up to December 2024.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. As per the PLFS Monthly Bulletin for August 2026, which one of the following declined to its lowest level since January 2026?

  • A. The urban unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above
  • B. The rural unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above
  • C. The all-India unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above
  • D. The urban female unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above

Q10. Monthly net payroll data, drawn from organised-sector establishments covered under a social-security statute of 1952 and used as an indicator of formal-sector job creation, are released by which one of the following?

  • A. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • B. The Employees' State Insurance Corporation, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • C. The National Statistical Office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • D. The Labour Bureau, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment

Q11. Who among the following was appointed Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission in June 2026?

  • A. Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar
  • B. Madhavan Mukund
  • C. Saibal Chattopadhyay
  • D. Pronab Sen

Q12. NSO's first comprehensive PLFS annual report to present gender-wise labour force indicators, such as a rural female Labour Force Participation Rate of 45.9 per cent in Usual Status, adopted which one of the following as its survey period?

  • A. July 2017 to June 2018
  • B. July 2024 to June 2025
  • C. January 2025 to December 2025
  • D. April 2025 to March 2026