New Delhi, June 21 -- India's unemployment rate rose to 5.6% in May, with rural areas seeing a sharper rise. The tragic Air India crash has added to Boeing's struggles amid tough competition from rival Airbus. And the Israel-Iran conflict has caused oil prices to spike.

India's unemployment rate rose to 5.6% in May from 5.1% in April, according to the latest periodic labour force survey (PLFS) report released by the statistics ministry. The rise was on account of both rural and urban unemployment. Rural unemployment rose 60 basis points to 5.1%, while urban unemployment increased 40 basis points to 6.9%. The increase in joblessness could be attributed to seasonal patterns, especially in rural areas, where activity may pick up in June due...