Lok Sabha Question No. 1291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-11
Subject: Unemployment Rate
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: GAURAV GOGOI, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1291

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11TH FEBURARY, 2019

## UNEMPLOYMENT  RATE

1291.   SHRI GAURAV GOGOI: SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the estimated unemployment rate shot up to a 27 month high of 7.38 per cent  in  December,  2018  as  revealed  by  Centre  for  Monitoring  Indian  Economy database on 'Unemployment Rate in India';
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the facts in this regard;
- (c) whether the number of those employed in rural areas and urban areas dropped significantly in the past few years and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there has been a dip in the estimated labour participation rate also; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the corrective measures taken proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (e):  Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)  is a private Institution and the Government  is  not  aware  of  the  survey  design  and  methodology  adopted  by  it. However,  as  per  the  results  of  available  in  the  annual  Employment-Unemployment Survey  conducted  by  the  Labour  Bureau,  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment,  the estimated Unemployment Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Labour Force Participation Rate of rural and urban persons aged 15 years and above on usual status basis in the country is given below:

| Year                                   | Year          |   2012-13 |   2013-14 |   2015-16 |
|----------------------------------------|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Labour Force Participation Rate (in %) | Rural         |      55.5 |      58.8 |      55.8 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (in %) | Urban         |      46.7 |      47.9 |      43.7 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (in %) | Rural + Urban |      53.1 |      55.6 |      52.4 |
| Worker Population Ratio (in %)         | Rural         |      53.6 |      57.1 |      53.9 |
|                                        | Urban         |      44.2 |      45.5 |      41.8 |
|                                        | Rural + Urban |      51   |      53.7 |      50.5 |
| Unemployment Rate (in %)               | Rural         |       3.5 |       2.9 |       3.4 |
|                                        | Urban         |       5.3 |       4.9 |       4.4 |
|                                        | Rural + Urban |       4   |       3.4 |       3.7 |

Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government.  Government  has  taken  various  steps  for  generating  employment  in  the country  like  encouraging  private  sector  of  economy,  fast-tracking  various  projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes such as Prime Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendyal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

Pradhan  Mantri  Rojgar  Protsahan  Yojana  (PMRPY)  has  been  launched  by  the Ministry of Labour and Employment for incentivising employers for promoting employment  generation.  Under  this  scheme,  Government  is  paying  entire  employer's contribution (12% or as admissible) towards EPF and EPS for all eligible new employees for all sectors  for 3 years.  Till  28-01-2019,  the  scheme  has  covered  1,29,916 establishments and 1.05 crore beneficiaries.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated by Government inter alia for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh, are extended  to  micro/small  business  enterprises  and  to  individuals  to  enable  them  to setup or expand their business activities. Uptill 25th January, 2019, a cumulative total loans of 15.59 crore were sanctioned under the scheme.

Government has implemented the National Career Service (NCS)  Project which comprises  a  digital  portal  that  provides  a  nation-wide  online  platform  for  the  job seekers and employers for job-matching in a dynamic, efficient and responsive manner and has a repository of career content to job seekers.

Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY)  is  the  flagship  scheme  of  the Ministry  of  Skill  Development  &  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE).  The  objective  of  this  Skill Certification Scheme is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industryrelevant  skill  training  that  will  help  them  in  securing  a  better  livelihood  and  to  meet their employment requirement.

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