Lok Sabha Question No. 956 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Unemployment Rates
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Manish Tewari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.956 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH  JULY, 2024

## UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

## 956.     SHRI MANISH TEWARI:

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

- (a) the details of the unemployment rates among the 18-30 demographic population of the country in the past 10 years;
- (b) whether the wages of youth workers/labourers has been increased or  remained  stagnant  over  the  last  10  years,  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (c) the  reaction  of  the  Government  to  the  India  Employment  Report 2024  jointly  published  by  the  International  Labour  Organization (ILO) and the Institute of Human Development (IHD), which states that 83% of jobless Indians are youth; and
- (d) the details of steps taken by the Government to increase employment and wages among youth and the effect of the same?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a)  to  (d):    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 201718. The survey period is July to June every year.

As per the results of PLFS latest report, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual  status  for  youth  of  age  15-29  years and above in the country during last ten years are as follows:

| Years   |   UR (in %) |
|---------|-------------|
| 2017-18 |        17.8 |
| 2018-19 |        17.3 |
| 2019-20 |        15   |
| 2020-21 |        12.9 |
| 2021-22 |        12.4 |
| 2022-23 |        10   |

Source : PLFS, MoSPI and Labour Bureau

The PLFS data indicates that the unemployment rate in the country has declining trend over the years.

As  per  the  latest  available  Annual  PLFS  Reports,  the  average wage/salary earnings during the preceding calendar month by the regular wage/ salaried employees in current weekly status (CWS) has increased to  Rs.  20,039/-  during  the  period  April-June,  2023  as  compared  to  Rs. 16,848/- during the period April-June, 2018, indicating 18.94% increase in regular wage/salary.

The  India  Employment  Report  2024,  prepared  by  IHD  is  based  on two data sets, the Employment-Unemployment Survey (EUS) for 2000 & 2012 and the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2018 to 2022.

As per NITI Aayog Report on 'Workforce changes and employment' , PLFS surveys are based on a different sampling framework and uses a different analytical approach vis à vis the NSSO surveys on employment (Kannan  and  Khan  2022).  Because  of  this,  the  time  series  data  on Employment and Unemployment, available from the NSSO surveys, is not comparable with the PLFS data.

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 &  Medium  Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development,  Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs,  Ministry  of  Finance, Ministry  of  Textile,  Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology etc. are implementing different employment generation schemes/ programmes  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. including increase in capital expenditure to boost employment creation. 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.

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