Lok Sabha Question No. 384 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-24
Subject: Unemployment Rate
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Adoor Prakash

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 384 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24TH JUNE, 2019

## UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

## 384.  ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:

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

- (a) the unemployment rate in the country at present;
- (b) whether the unemployment rate in the country is at 45 year high as per survey of National Sample Survey Office;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (d) the details of measures proposed by the Government to address the issue?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  to  (d):  As  per  the  results  of  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  conducted  by National Sample Survey Office,  Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation during 2017-18, the estimated Unemployment Rate on usual status (ps+ss) basis  for persons of all ages in the country was 6.1%.  The unemployment rate for last 45 years is given below:

| Unemployment Rates (in %) according to usual status (ps+ss) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) according to usual status (ps+ss) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) according to usual status (ps+ss) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) according to usual status (ps+ss) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   | Unemployment Rates (in %) according to usual status (ps+ss) from 1972-73 to 2017-18   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Survey                                                                                | Rural                                                                                 | Rural                                                                                 | urban                                                                                 | urban                                                                                 |
| year                                                                                  | Male                                                                                  | Female                                                                                | Male                                                                                  | female                                                                                |
| 2017-18* (PLFS)                                                                       | 5.8                                                                                   | 3.8                                                                                   | 7.1                                                                                   | 10.8                                                                                  |
| 2011-12 (NSS 68 th round)                                                             | 1.7                                                                                   | 1.7                                                                                   | 3.0                                                                                   | 5.2                                                                                   |
| 2009-10 (NSS 66 th round)                                                             | 1.6                                                                                   | 1.6                                                                                   | 2.8                                                                                   | 5.7                                                                                   |
| 2004-05 (NSS 61 st round)                                                             | 1.6                                                                                   | 1.8                                                                                   | 3.8                                                                                   | 6.9                                                                                   |
| 1999-00 (NSS 55 th round)                                                             | 1.7                                                                                   | 1.0                                                                                   | 4.5                                                                                   | 5.7                                                                                   |

| 1993-94 (NSS 50 th round)   |   1.4 |   0.9 |   4.1 |   6.1 |
|-----------------------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| 1987-88 (NSS 43 rd round)   |   1.8 |   2.4 |   5.2 |   6.2 |
| 1983 (NSS 38 th round)      |   1.4 |   0.7 |   5.1 |   4.9 |
| 1977-78 (NSS 32 nd round)   |   1.3 |   2   |   5.4 |  12.4 |
| 1972-73 (NSS 27 th round)   |   1.2 |   0.5 |   4.8 |   6   |

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

Government has taken various steps for generating employment i.e. 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.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated by Government inter alia for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY collateral free loans uptoRs. 10 lakh, are extended  to  micro/small  business  enterprises  and  to  individuals  to  enable  them  to setup or expand their business activities.

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  VikasYojana  (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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