Data in the draft Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-2018 reveals that the unemployment rate. was the highest for all demographics in the past three decades. The draft report, accessed by The Hindu, also shows that a section of those surveyed are unemployed despite their academic qualifications and vocational/technical training.

Sudden spike from 2011-12
Unemployment among urban women saw the steepest climb (Over 5 percentage points), while the unemployment rate among urban and rural men rose by 4 percentage points

Education doesn't mean jobs
Across all demographics (urban and rural women and men), those who had finished secondary school and above had the highest rate of unemployment. This was particularly pronounced among urban women (about 20%).

Traditionally, people who finish secondary education and above constitute the largest section of unemployed people, going by past surveys. However, the gap between this section and others was much wider in 2017-18.

IT, electronics boom
About 20% of those who had received some formal vocational/technical training were trained in IT-related disciplines, while electrical and electronics came next.

Just over half employed
Only about 5-6 persons out of 10 who had received formal vocational/technical training were employed. About 3 out of 10 people were not in the labour force during the survey.

In the report, unemployed rate is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force. 'Employment' refers to people employed in the 'usual status' -- in this case, it refers to people who have engaged in any economic activity for 30 days or more in the past 365 days.