Lok Sabha Question No. 172 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Problem of Unemployment
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Kunwar Danish Ali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.172 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH  NOVEMBER, 2021

## PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT

## 172.  KUNWAR DANISH ALI:

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

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  problem  of  unemployment  has  aggravated  in  the country during the last five years;
- (b) if so, the details of the unemployment rate during the said period, year-wise; and
- (c) the number of unemployed that have been provided employment during the last five years and the steps being taken by the Government to provide employment to the unemployed?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a)  to  (c):  The  data  on  employment/  unemployment  is  collected  through  Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18. As per the results of PLFS  conducted  during  2017-18,  2018-19  and  2019-20,  the  details  of  the  estimated Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR)  and  the  estimated  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  for persons of 15 years and above on usual status basis in the country is given below:

| Year    |   WPR(%) |   UR(%) |
|---------|----------|---------|
| 2017-18 |     46.8 |     6   |
| 2018-19 |     47.3 |     5.8 |
| 2019-20 |     50.9 |     4.8 |

Employment generation is the priority of the Government. Government of India has taken a number of initiatives for promoting employment generation in the country. Aatmanirbhar Bharat RojgarYojana (ABRY) was launched with effect from 1st October, 2020 as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat package 3.0 to incentivize employers for creation of  new  employment  along  with  social  security  benefits  and  restoration  of  loss  of employment  during  Covid-19  pandemic.  This  scheme  being  implemented  through Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), seeks to reduce the financial burden of  the  employers  and  encourages them to hire more workers. The terminal date for registration of beneficiaries has been extended from 30.06.2021 to 31.03.2022. As on 20.11.2021,  benefit  has  been  provided  to  39.43  lakh  beneficiaries  through  1.15  lakh establishments.

PM-SVANidhi Scheme has facilitated collateral free working capital loan upto Rs.10,000/-  for  one-year  tenure  to  street  vendors,  to  help  them    resume  their businesses.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is being implemented by the 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.

In addition, to enhance the employment generation, Government is encouraging  various  projects  involving  substantial  investment  and  through  public expenditure  on  schemes  like  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) and Pradhan Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY)  run  by  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  &  Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), respectively.

Besides these initiatives, the flagship programmes of the Government such as Make  in  India,  Digital  India,  Smart  City  Mission,  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and Urban  Transformation,  Housing  for  All,  Infrastructure  development  and  Industrial corridors and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme are also oriented to generate productive employment opportunities.

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