New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- India's unemployment rate for those aged 15 years and above increased marginally to 5.2% in September from 5.1% in August owing to a rise in joblessness in both rural and urban areas.

Unemployment in rural areas rose to 4.6% in September from 4.3% in August, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the statistics ministry on Wednesday. Urban unemployment inched up to 6.8% from 6.7% over the same period, underscoring persistent strain in city labour markets, the survey showed.

Women remained disproportionately affected, albeit for different reasons in urban and rural India. In urban regions, unemployment among women rose to 9.3% in September from 8.9% in August, while joblessness among...