Lok Sabha Question No. 22 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Unemployment rate in Rural and Urban Areas
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 22

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2021

## UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS

## 22.    DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

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

- (a)whether the Government is aware that over 1.5 million people from both the formal and informal sectors lost their jobs during the last two-three months as the unemployment rate rose in rural and urban India;
- (b)whether the Government is also aware that the Country's unemployment has risen to an alarming stage; if so, the details and the reasons therefore;
- (c)whether the Government has made any plan to improve its scenario
- across the country; and
- (d)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefore?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

- (a) & (b): As per the results of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office  (NSO),  Ministry  of  Statistics and  Programme  Implementation  during  2018-19  and  2019-20,  the estimated  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  for  persons  aged  15  years  and above on usual status basis has decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%.
- (c) & (d): 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  various  projects  involving  substantial  investment  and increasing public expenditure on schemes  like Prime Minister's Employment   Generation   Programme    (PMEGP),    Mahatma  Gandhi

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen and NULM) run by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Ministry of  Rural  Development  and  Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs,

Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAYrespectively.

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

Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  Rojgar  Yojana  (ABRY)  was  launched with  effect  from  1 st   October,  2020  as  part  of  Atmanirbhar  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.

Prime  Minister  Street  Vendor's  Atma  Nirbhar  Nidhi  (PM SVANidhi) Scheme was launched on June 01, 2020 to provide working capital loan to Street Vendors, vending in urban areas, to resume their businesses,  which  were  hurt  adversely  due  to  COVID-19  induced lockdown.

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), totaling 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/-.This has helped in protecting employment  in  EPFO  registered  establishments  during  post  Covid period.

Government had launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) of 125 days on 20th June, 2020 to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers and similarly affected  persons  including  youth  in  rural  areas,  in  116  selected districts across 6 States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The  unemployment  benefit  under  the  Atal  Beemit  Vyakti Kalyan Yojana being implemented by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has been enhanced to 50% from 25% of the average eligibility wage, payable upto 90 days, alongwith relaxation of conditions to claim the benefit.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is being implemented by  the  Government  inter  alia,  for  facilitating  self-employment.  Under extended  to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to

PMMY  collateral  free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh, are setup or expand their business activities.

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 and to

All, Infrastructure development and Industrial Corridors Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme are also oriented generate productive employment opportunities.

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