Demand under rural jobs scheme eases again in May

Demand for work under India’s rural job guarantee scheme, MGNREGS, dropped for a seventh consecutive month in May, signaling improved economic conditions at the start of the fiscal year. About 37.46 million individuals sought work, down 12.1% from the previous year, with 27.18 million households seeking work, a 14.3% drop. The trend is attributed to better-paying job opportunities and the impact of heat waves across the country, although the data is subject to revision.