Lok Sabha Question No. 31 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-22
Subject: New Employment Guarantee Scheme
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Thiru D M Kathir Anand

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 31 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  JULY, 2024

## NEW EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME

## 31.   THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND:

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

- (a) whether  it  is  true  that  more  than  30  crore  youth  population between  age  18 and 35 are still unemployed  or under employed and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Union Government has chalked out any comprehensive  Employment  Generation  Programme  to  solve the unemployment problem and job loss in the country and if so the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  devised  any  new  employment guarantee  scheme  to  mitigate  the  unemployment  problem  in the country especially to leather sector and textile sector;
- (d)
- if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the affirmative action taken/to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (e): The data on Employment and Unemployment is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) which is conducted by the  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation  (MoSPI) since 2017-18. The survey period is July to June every year. As per the latest available Annual PLFS Reports, the estimated Unemployment Rate on usual status for different age groups during the last few years in the country is as follows:

|         | Unemployment Rate (%)   | Unemployment Rate (%)   | Unemployment Rate (%)   |
|---------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
| Year    | 15-29 years             | 15-59 years             | 15 years and above      |
| 2017-18 | 17.8                    | 6.5                     | 6.0                     |
| 2018-19 | 17.3                    | 6.2                     | 5.8                     |
| 2019-20 | 15.0                    | 5.2                     | 4.8                     |
| 2020-21 | 12.9                    | 4.6                     | 4.2                     |
| 2021-22 | 12.4                    | 4.4                     | 4.1                     |
| 2022-23 | 10.0                    | 3.4                     | 3.2                     |

Source: PLFS, MoSPI

The data indicates that the unemployment rate in the country has a decreasing trend across all age groups.

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  various  Ministries/  Departments  of  Government  of  India like  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises,  Ministry  of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, etc. are implementing different employment generation schemes/ programmes  (including  leather  and  textile sectors) 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), Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs),  Deen Dayal Antodaya  Yojana-National  Urban  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NULM), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY),  etc. The details of various employment  generation  schemes/  programmes  being  implemented by the Government of India may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes.

Government  has  also  increased  capital  expenditure  outlay from 10 lakh crore in 2023-24 to 11.11 lakh crore in 2024-25 which will have a multiplier impact on the economic growth and employment creation.

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