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Punjab records highest unemployment rate followed by Haryana, Himachal: Report

The report also shows that Punjab has a high share of young people who are not working, studying or receiving any training, a group commonly known as NEET.

By  Jasleen Kaur Gulati September 23rd 2026 03:56 PM

PTC News Desk: Punjab has recorded the highest unemployment rate among Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, according to a labour market report prepared by the National Statistics Office (NSO).


The report also shows that Punjab has a high share of young people who are not working, studying or receiving any training, a group commonly known as NEET.


For people aged 15 and above, Punjab’s unemployment rate stood at 5.3%, compared with 4.5% in Haryana and 4.5% in Himachal Pradesh.


Among people aged 15 to 29, Punjab’s NEET rate was 27.7%. Haryana recorded 27.2%, while Himachal Pradesh had the lowest rate at 20.5%.


Punjab's employment figures


Punjab’s Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) was 55.2%. This measures the share of the working-age population that is either employed or actively looking for work.


The state’s Worker Population Ratio (WPR) was 52.3%, meaning just over half of the population was employed.


Among the selected districts:


Patiala recorded the highest LFPR at 61.2% and WPR at 58.1%.

Gurdaspur had the highest unemployment rate at 8.6%.

Sangrur recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 3%.

Gurdaspur also had the highest NEET rate at 36.4%.

Bathinda had the lowest NEET rate at 20.7%.

Haryana Employment Data


Haryana recorded an unemployment rate of 4.5% and a NEET rate of 27.2%.


Its LFPR stood at 50.4%, while the WPR was 48.1%.


Among the selected districts, Sirsa had the highest LFPR at 61.9% and WPR at 60.8%.


Yamunanagar recorded the highest unemployment rate at 7.4%.

Sirsa had the lowest unemployment rate at 1.8%.

Sirsa also had the highest NEET rate at 36.3%.

Karnal recorded the lowest NEET rate at 20.4%.

Himachal Pradesh Performs Better on NEET Rate


Himachal Pradesh recorded the lowest NEET rate among the three states at 20.5%. Its unemployment rate was 4.5%.


The state had a much higher LFPR of 73.2% and a WPR of 69.9%.


Among the selected districts:


Hamirpur had the highest LFPR at 83.5% and WPR at 82.5%.

Sirmaur recorded the highest unemployment rate at 9.2%.

Mandi had the lowest unemployment rate at just 0.8%.

Solan recorded the highest NEET rate at 39%.

Lahaul & Spiti, Bilaspur and Kinnaur had the lowest NEET rate at 4.8%.

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