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As of May 2022, the unemployment rate in India was recorded at nearly percent, a decrease from the previous month. While the unemployment rate had significantly declined over the course of 2021 since having peaked in , the breakout of new coronavirus variants coupled with recurring lockdowns resulted in a fluctuating trend of unemployment gripping the nation.

The trickle-down effect

Between February and April 2020, the share of households that experienced a fall in income shot up to nearly ** percent. Inflation rates on goods and services including food products and fuel were expected to rise later this year. Social distancing resulted in job losses, specifically those within Indian society’s lower economic strata. Several households terminated domestic help services – essentially an unorganized monthly-paying job. Most Indians spent a large amount of time engaging in household chores themselves, making it the most widely practiced lockdown activity.

Aid from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

The most devastating impact of the virus and the lockdown had been on the economically backward classes, with limited access to proper healthcare and other resources. As a result the government launched various programs and campaigns to help sustain such households. Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, *** billion Indian rupees were accrued and provided to around 331 million beneficiaries that included women, construction workers, farmers, and senior citizens. More aid was announced in mid-May, to mainly support small businesses through the crisis.