Lok Sabha Question No. 1428 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: Unemployment
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Midhun Reddy, Kalyan Banerjee, Santokh Singh Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1428

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 1st JULY, 2019

## UNEMPLOYMENT

## 1428.  SHRI P.V. MIDHUNREDDY:

SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE:

SHRI SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has received a recent report of National Sample Survey Office  (NSSO)  on  the  unemployment  issue  of  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also a fact that during the last 5 years Joblessness stood at 45 year high and continues to rise in 2019 and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether it is also a fact that the Government has failed to create any job during their last tenure;
- (d) if  so,  the  proposal  and  line  of  action  to  generate  employment  and  job  in  the country within next three years;
- (e) whether the Government has undertaken any study to assess the impact of rising unemployment on industry and the public, particularly youth and the steps taken by the Government to increase formal employment in the country;
- (f) if  so,  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  unemployment  in  respect  of  urban  youth  has increased as per the periodic labour force survey and if so, the details thereof; and
- (g) whether the Government has worked out action plan in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (g):  The  quinquennial  labour  force  surveys  on  employment  and  unemployment were conducted by National Sample Survey Office  (NSSO),  Ministry  of  Statistics  and Programme Implementation. The last such survey was conducted during 2011-12. Now, NSSO  has  switched  to  the  annual  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  which  was conducted  during  2017-18.  The  survey  report  has  recently  been  released  by  the Government.  As  per  the  results  of  the  survey,  the  estimated  unemployment  rate  on usual  status  (principal  status+subsidiary  status)  basis  for  persons  of  all  ages  in  the country is given below:

| Unemployment Rates (in %) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Survey year                                         | Rural                                               | Rural                                               | urban                                               | urban                                               |
|                                                     | Male                                                | Female                                              | Male                                                | female                                              |
| 2017-18*(PLFS)                                      | 5.8                                                 | 3.8                                                 | 7.1                                                 | 10.8                                                |
| 2011-12(NSS 68th round)                             | 1.7                                                 | 1.7                                                 | 3.0                                                 | 5.2                                                 |
| 2009-10(NSS 66th round)                             | 1.6                                                 | 1.6                                                 | 2.8                                                 | 5.7                                                 |
| 2004-05(NSS 61st round)                             | 1.6                                                 | 1.8                                                 | 3.8                                                 | 6.9                                                 |
| 1999-00(NSS 55th round)                             | 1.7                                                 | 1.0                                                 | 4.5                                                 | 5.7                                                 |
| 1993-94(NSS 50th round)                             | 1.4                                                 | 0.9                                                 | 4.1                                                 | 6.1                                                 |
| 1987-88(NSS 43rd round)                             | 1.8                                                 | 2.4                                                 | 5.2                                                 | 6.2                                                 |
| 1983(NSS 38th round)                                | 1.4                                                 | 0.7                                                 | 5.1                                                 | 4.9                                                 |
| 1977-78(NSS 32nd round)                             | 1.3                                                 | 2.0                                                 | 5.4                                                 | 12.4                                                |
| 1972-73(NSS 27th round)                             | 1.2                                                 | 0.5                                                 | 4.8                                                 | 6.0                                                 |

(Note: *For comparability, the results of the PLFS with earlier rounds of NSS surveys need to be understood in the context with which the survey methodology and sample selection has been designed)

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  MantriRojgarProtsahanYojana  (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 31-05-2019, the scheme has covered 1,51,579 establishments and 1.21 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.  Upto  31st  March,  2019,  18.26  crore  loans  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. Start-up India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong ecosystem  that  is  conducive  for  the  growth  of  start-up  businesses,  to  drive  sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. Besides these initiatives, flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Digital  India,  Swachh  Bharat  Mission,  Smart  City  Mission,  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and Urban Transformation, Housing for All, Infrastructure development and Industrial corridors have the potential to generate productive employment opportunities. Ministries/ Departments/ States run skill development schemes across various sectors to improve the employability of youth and also  facilitate  placements.  Schemes  such  as  the  National  Apprenticeship  Promotion  Scheme (NAPS) wherein Government reimburses 25 percent of the stipend payable to apprentices also enhances employability of the youth to access employment.

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