The Government today refuted the news related to the high unemployment rate during December last year published in some sections of the media. The Labour and Employment Ministry said, the news was based on a survey conducted by a private company whose methodology is neither scientific nor based on internationally accepted norms.<br />''<br />''It said, the data of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) indicates that the employment market has not only recovered from the jolt of the COVID-19 pandemic but also is at levels higher than the pre-pandemic level. As per the PLFS report, the worker population ratio was at the level of 44.5 percent during July-September last year compared to around 43 percent during the same quarter in 2019. The unemployment rate during July-September last year stood at the level of 7.2 percent compared to 8.3 percent in July-September, 2019. <br />''<br />''<br />