Lok Sabha Question No. 5070 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-03
Subject: Reduce Unemployment Rate
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Nalin Kumar Kateel, Mimi Chakraborty, Mala Roy, T.N. Prathapan

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5070 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 RD  APRIL, 2023

## REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

## 5070.  SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

SHRIMATI MALA ROY:

MS. MIMI CHAKRABORTY: SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government proposes to reduce unemployment rate to 5 percent by  2024-2025,  if  so,  the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to reduce the unemployment rate from average 8.22 per cent to target rate;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  reduce  the  present  urban unemployment rate from 8.33 percent to 5 per cent which was in 2018;
- (c) the  current  and  annual  unemployment  rate  in  the  country  since  2014, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the current unemployment  rate in Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar,  Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka;
- (e) the  details  of  employment  programmes  by  the  Governments  carrying  out  in the  country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  fund  provided  for  the  said programmes and the number of people employed under these schemes;
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  any  data  of  underemployment  in  the  country; and
- (g) whether the Government is aware the rate of unemployment is very high in the country, if so,  the  measurers  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government to solve the unemployment crisis?

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## ANSWER (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (g): The official data source on Employment and Unemployment is Periodic Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  which  is  conducted  by  the  Ministry  of  Statistics  & Programme  Implementation  (MoSPI)  since  2017-18.  The  survey  period  is  July  to June of next year. As per the latest available Annual PLFS Reports, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above was  5.8%,  4.8%  ,4.2%  and  4.1%  during  2018-19,  2019-20,  2020-21  and  2021-22 respectively.  While  the  estimated  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  on  usual  status  for persons of age 15 years and above in urban areas was 7.6% ,6.9%,6.7% and 6.3% during  2018-19,  2019-20,  2020-21  and  2021-22  respectively,  which  indicates declining trend for unemployment rate in the country as well as in urban areas.

Prior to PLFS, Employment-Unemployment Survey (EUS) was conducted by the  Labour  Bureau,  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  for  the  years  2010-11  to 2016-17. Results from both surveys viz. PLFS  and  Labour  Bureau  are not comparable  due  to  different  sampling  methodology  and  coverage.  PLFS  covers seasonality of labour force as it is conducted during the period July to June (i.e. full year) whereas field work in Labour Bureau survey varied from 7 to 9 months and therefore, complete seasonality was not covered.

The  State/UT-wise  estimated  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  on  usual  status  for persons of age 15 years & above for the period 2017-18 to 2021-22 is at Annexure.

The unemployment rate of other countries is not centrally  maintained.

Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government. Accordingly, the Government of India has taken various steps for generating employment in the country.

Investments in Infrastructure and productive capacity have a large multiplier impact  on  growth  and  employment.  The  budget  of  2023-24  proposed  to  increase capital investment outlay steeply for the third year in a row by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore, which would be 3.3 per cent of GDP. This substantial increase in recent years  is  central  to  the  government's  efforts  to  enhance  growth  potential  and  job creation.

The  Government  of  India  has  announced  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  package  to provide stimulus to business and to mitigate the adverse impact of Covid 19. Under this  package,  the  Government  has  provided  fiscal  stimulus  of  more  than  Rupees Twenty Seven lakh crore. This package comprises of various long term schemes/ programmes/ policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

The  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  Rojgar  Yojana  (ABRY)  was  launched  with  effect from  1st  October,  2020  to  incentivize  employers  for  creation  of  new  employment and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic. The terminal date for registration of beneficiaries was 31.03.2022. Since inception of the scheme, till 11.03.2023,  benefits  have  been  provided  to  60.3  lakhs  beneficiaries  under  the scheme.

The Government is implementing Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbharNidhi (PM SVANidhi  Scheme)  since June 01, 2020 to facilitate collateral  free  working  capital  loan  to  street  vendors  to  restart  their  businesses, which were adversely impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. As on 13.03.2023, 42.21 lakh loans have been disbursed under the scheme.

The Government of India is encouraging various projects involving substantial  investment  and  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)  and  Deen  Dayal  Antodaya  Yojana-National  Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) etc. for employment generation.

Further,  the  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  is implementing the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to enhance the employability of youth.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was launched by the Government 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.  As  on  24.02.2023,  more  than  39.65 crore loan accounts sanctioned under the scheme.

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes is being implemented by the Government with an outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore, for a period of 5 years starting from 2021-22 which have potential for creating 60 lakh new jobs.

PM  GatiShakti  is  a  transformative  approach  for  economic  growth  and sustainable development. The approach is driven by seven engines, namely, Roads, Railways, Airports, Ports, Mass Transport, Waterways and Logistics Infrastructure. This approach is powered by Clean Energy and Sabka Prayas leading to huge job and entrepreneurial opportunities for all.

Besides  these  initiatives,  various  flagship  programmes  of  the  Government such as Make in India, Start-up India, Stand-up India, Digital India, Housing for All etc. are also oriented towards generating employment opportunities. All these initiatives are expected to collectively generate employment in the medium to long term through multiplier-effects.

*****

Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) to (g) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5070 due for reply on 03.04.2023

State/UT-wise details of Unemployment Rate (UR) (in %) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above for the period 2017-18 to 2021-22.

| S. No.   | States/UTs           | 2017-18   | 2018-19   |   2019-20 | 2020-21   | 2021-22   |
|----------|----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh       | 4.5       | 5.3       |       4.7 | 4.1       | 4.2       |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh    | 5.8       | 7.7       |       6.7 | 5.7       | 7.7       |
| 3        | Assam                | 7.9       | 6.7       |       7.9 | 4.1       | 3.9       |
| 4        | Bihar                | 7         | 9.8       |       5.1 | 4.6       | 5.9       |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh         | 3.3       | 2.4       |       3.3 | 2.5       | 2.4       |
| 6        | Delhi                | 9.4       | 10.4      |       8.6 | 6.3       | 5.3       |
| 7        | Goa                  | 13.9      | 8.7       |       8.1 | 10.5      | 12        |
| 8        | Gujarat              | 4.8       | 3.2       |       2   | 2.2       | 2         |
| 9        | Haryana              | 8.4       | 9.3       |       6.4 | 6.3       | 9         |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh     | 5.5       | 5.1       |       3.7 | 3.3       | 4         |
| 11       | Jharkhand            | 7.5       | 5.2       |       4.2 | 3.1       | 2         |
| 12       | Karnataka            | 4.8       | 3.6       |       4.2 | 2.7       | 3.2       |
| 13       | Kerala               | 11.4      | 9         |      10   | 10.1      | 9.6       |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh       | 4.3       | 3.5       |       3   | 1.9       | 2.1       |
| 15       | Maharashtra          | 4.8       | 5         |       3.2 | 3.7       | 3.5       |
| 16       | Manipur              | 11.5      | 9.4       |       9.5 | 5.6       | 9         |
| 17       | Meghalaya            | 1.6       | 2.7       |       2.7 | 1.7       | 2.6       |
| 18       | Mizoram              | 10.1      | 7         |       5.7 | 3.5       | 5.4       |
| 19       | Nagaland             | 21.4      | 17.4      |      25.7 | 19.2      | 9.1       |
| 20       | Odisha               | 7.1       | 7         |       6.2 | 5.3       | 6         |
| 21       | Punjab               | 7.7       | 7.4       |       7.3 | 6.2       | 6.4       |
| 22       | Rajasthan            | 5         | 5.7       |       4.5 | 4.7       | 4.7       |
| 23       | Sikkim               | 3.5       | 3.1       |       2.2 | 1.1       | 1.6       |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu           | 7.5       | 6.6       |       5.3 | 5.2       | 4.8       |
| 25       | Telangana            | 7.6       | 8.3       |       7   | 4.9       | 4.2       |
| 26       | Tripura              | 6.8       | 10        |       3.2 | 3.2       | 3         |
| 27       | Uttarakhand          | 7.6       | 8.9       |       7.1 | 6.9       | 7.8       |
| 28       | Uttar Pradesh        | 6.2       | 5.7       |       4.4 | 4.2       | 2.9       |
| 29       | West Bengal          | 4.6       | 3.8       |       4.6 | 3.5       | 3.4       |
| 30       | Andaman & N. Island  | 15.8      | 13.5      |      12.6 | 9.1       | 7.8       |
| 31       | Chandigarh           | 9         | 7.3       |       6.3 | 7.1       | 6.3       |
| 32       | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 0.4       | 1.5       |       3   |           |           |
| 33       | Daman & Diu          | 3.1       | 0         |       2.9 | 4.2       | 5.2       |
| 34       | Jammu & Kashmir      | 5.4       | 5.1       |       6.7 | 5.9       | 5.2       |
| 35       | Ladakh               | -         | -         |       0.1 | 2.9       | 3.3       |
| 36       | Lakshadweep          | 21.3      | 31.6      |      13.7 | 13.4      | 17.2      |
| 37       | Puducherry           | 10.3      | 8.3       |       7.6 | 6.7       | 5.8       |
| All      | India                | 6         | 5.8       |       4.8 | 4.2       | 4.1       |

Source: PLFS, MoSPI