Lok Sabha Question No. 1616 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-13
Subject: Unskilled Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: M. P. Abdussamad Samadani

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1616

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2023

## UNSKILLED LABOURERS

1616. DR. M.P. ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  situation  of  unskilled labourers becoming on account of the market getting sluggish, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether  the  Government  has  any  program  for  additional  financial assistance to this sector, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)whether  the  Government  has  planned  any  study  to  understand
- various dimensions of this situation and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): The  official  data  on  Employment  and  Unemployment  is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the  Ministry  of  Statistics  &  Programme  Implementation  (MoSPI).    As per  the  latest  available  Annual  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS) reports,  the  estimated  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  on  usual  status  for persons  of  age  15  years  and  above  was  6.0%,  5.8%,  4.8%  and  4.2% during  2017-18,  2018-19,  2019-20  and  2020-21,  respectively,  which shows that unemployment in the country has a declining trend.

The 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.

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  the beneficiaries was 31.03.2022. Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package,  the  Government  is  providing  fiscal  stimulus  of  more  than Rupees Twenty Seven lakh crore.  This package comprises of various long  term  schemes/programmes/policies  for  making  the  country  selfreliant and to create employment opportunities. Since inception of the scheme,  till  24.01.2023,  benefits  of  Rs.  8474.55  crore  have  been provided to 60.26 lakhs beneficiaries under the scheme.

Government  is  also  implementing  Prime  Minister  Street Vendor's  AtmaNirbharNidhi  (PM  SVANidhi)  to  facilitate  free  working capital  loan  to  street  vendors  to  restart  their  business  and  Pradhan Mantri  Mudra  Yojana  (PMMY)  to  facilitate  self-employment  to  micro/ small business enterprises and to individuals.

The  Government  of  India  is  encouraging  various  projects involving  substantial  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.

******