New Delhi: The periodic labour force survey of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), has pegged the unemployment rate for 2017-18 at a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent, Business Standard reported. On Monday, two National Statistical Commission (NSC) members resigned, alleging that despite NSC's approval, the government withheld the report's release.

The report, which has not been made public yet, mentions in 2017-18 the unemployment level was at its highest level since 1972-73 — the period since when the jobs data is comparable, documents reviewed by Business Standard show. According to the NSSO survey, in 2011-12 the unemployment rate stood at 2.2 per cent. PLFS is NSSO's first annual household survey conducted for July 2017-June 2018. This is the first comprehensive employment survey conducted by a government agency since demonetisation came into effect in November 2016.