Lok Sabha Question No. 2181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-04
Subject: Increase in Unemployment
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Gurjeet Singh Aujla

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2181 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.03.2020

## INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT

2181. SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  reasons  for  the increase in unemployment from 2017-18 as mentioned in the NSSO survey;
- (b)
- (c)
- if so, the details thereof; and
- if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY OF PLANNING [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

(a) to (c): Estimates of Employment and Unemployment are obtained through labour force surveys conducted by the National Statistical Office. These surveys were earlier conducted on a five-yearly basis and the last few such surveys were in 1999-2000, 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2011-12. During 2017-18, to have more frequent availability of Employment and Unemployment data, a new annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was launched with certain changes in survey methodology,  data  collection  mechanism  and  sampling  design  as compared  with  the  earlier  quinquennial  surveys.  The  PLFS  gives estimates of key labour market statistical indicators in urban areas on  a  quarterly  basis  and  generates  annual  estimates  for  rural  and urban areas and are not comparable with the earlier quinquennial surveys.

As  per  the  Annual  Report  of  PLFS  for  2017-18,  the  labour  force estimates for  all  ages  for  usual  status  workers,  that  is,  combined principal and subsidiary economic activity status, are as follows:

## All-India labour force estimates (usual status) in percentage during 2017-18

|                                        | Rural + Urban   | Rural + Urban   | Rural + Urban   |
|----------------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|                                        | male            | female          | person          |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) | 55.5            | 17.5            | 36.9            |
| Worker Population Ratio (WPR)          | 52.1            | 16.5            | 34.7            |
| Unemployment Rate (UR)                 | 6.2             | 5.7             | 6.1             |

As per the latest quarterly report of PLFS, the Unemployment Rate as per weekly status in urban areas for all ages is as follows:

| Unemployment Rate (UR) (Weekly status)   | Urban   | Urban   | Urban   |
|------------------------------------------|---------|---------|---------|
| in percentage                            | male    | female  | person  |
| April-June, 2018                         | 9.0     | 12.8    | 9.8     |
| July-September, 2018                     | 8.9     | 12.7    | 9.7     |
| October-December, 2018                   | 9.2     | 12.3    | 9.9     |
| January-March, 2019                      | 8.7     | 11.6    | 9.3     |

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