The Ministry of Labour and Employment has unveiled the All-India Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for agricultural and rural laborers for May 2024, indicating notable increases. Based on a base year of 1986–87 = 100, both CPI-AL and CPI-RL rose by 6 points each, reaching 1269 and 1281, respectively. The surge in indices was primarily driven by essential commodities such as vegetables, pulses, wheat (atta), onions, and milk, among others. However, states exhibited diverse trends, with Bihar witnessing a decline across both indices, while Jammu & Kashmir’s agricultural laborer index remained unchanged. This notification was published on June 21, 2024.
Inflation rates, reflecting month-on-month changes, showed CPI-AL at 7.00% and CPI-RL at 7.02% for May 2024, with slight fluctuations from the previous month. The corresponding figures for May 2023 stood at 5.99% and 5.84%, respectively. The Ministry will release the CPI data for June 2024 on July 19, 2024, providing further insights into the economic landscape affecting laborers nationwide.
