Lok Sabha Question No. 182 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-19
Subject: Assistance to unemployed Individuals
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Uttam Kumar Nalamada Reddy

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 182

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH   JULY, 2021

## ASSISTANCE TO UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS

## 182. SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY NALAMADA:

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

- (a) the details of the monthly unemployment rate in the country since December 2019 till the present date;
- (b) the  details  of  various  schemes  to  provide  employment  and  other  forms  of assistance to unemployed individuals, including funds allocated and the number of eligible beneficiaries;
- (c) the number of individuals who sought and received Government  assistance under these schemes; and
- (d) the other steps taken by the Ministry to combat the problem of unemployment in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a)  to  (d):      Annual  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  on  employment  and unemployment is conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. As per the results of PLFS, the unemployment rate for  persons  of  15  years  and  above  on  usual  status  (principal  status  +  subsidiary status) basis in the country to the extent available during 2018-19 was 5.8%.

The Government is providing fiscal stimulus of more than rupees twenty seven lakh  crore  as  part  of  the  Aatmanirbhar  financial  Package.  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat package comprises of various long term schemes/programmes/ policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  Rozgar  Yojna  (ABRY)  Scheme  has  been  launched  with effect from 1st October 2020 to incentivize creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment. This scheme reduces the financial burden of the employers and encourages them to hire more workers. Under ABRY, Government of India is providing for a period of two years both the employees' share (12% of wages) and employer's share (12% of wages) of  contribution  payable  or  only  the  employees'  share,  depending  on  employment strength of the EPFO registered establishments. As on 30th June 2021, total benefit of around Rs.950 crores has been given through 82,251 establishments covering more than 22 lakh beneficiaries.

Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana(PMGKY), Government of India has contributed both 12% employer's share and 12% employee's share under Employees Provident  Fund(EPF),  totalling  24%  of  the  wage  for  the  wage  month  from  March  to August,  2020  for  the  establishments  having  upto  100  employees  with  90%  of  such employees earning less than Rs.15000/-. Under the PMGKY scheme Rs2567.66 crore was  credited  in  EPF  accounts  of  38.82  lakhs  eligible  employees  and  helped  in providing employment in  EPFO registered establishments during past Covid pandemic.

Government is implementing Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) in the country since 2016 with the objective to incentivise employers for creation of new  employment  with  social  security  benefits.  Under  the  scheme,  Government  of India  is  paying  Employer's  full  contribution  i.e.  12%  towards  Employees'  Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) both (as admissible from time to time) for a period of three years to the new employees through Employees' Provident Fund  Organisation  (EPFO).  The  terminal  date  for  registration  of  beneficiary  through establishment  was  31st  March  2019.  The  beneficiaries  registered  upto  31st  March, 2019  will  continue  to  receive  the  benefit  for  3  years  from  the  date  of  registration under the scheme. Benefit has been provided to 1.21 crore beneficiaries through 1.53 lakh establishments.

Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojana  (PMMY)  has  been  initiated  by  the  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.

Government of India has launched PM- SVANidhi Scheme to facilitate collateral free  working  capital  loan  upto  Rs.10,000/-  of  one-year  tenure,  to  approximately,  50 lakh street vendors, to resume their businesses in the past Covid pandemic.

Employment  generation  is  a  priority  of  the  Government.  Besides  above, Government  has  taken  various  steps  for  generating  employment  in  the  country through  other    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)  and Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

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