Lok Sabha Question No. 2483 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-18
Subject: Productive Employment
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: N.K. Premachandran

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2483

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT

## 2483.   SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN :

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  initiated  action  to  increase  the  employment opportunities and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  analysed  the  reasons  for  increase  of  rate  of unemployment and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the reasons for low rate of productive employment;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to implement programmes for adequate level of skill creation and training and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  conducted  any  survey  for  increasing  rate  of unemployment in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (f) the  details  of  unemployment  growth  in  the  country  during  the  last  ten years, year-wise; and
- (g) whether the Government initiated action for resolve the disparity in wages of male and female and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (g):  The  data  on  Employment  and  Unemployment  is  collected  through 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 every year. 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.  As  per  the  results  of  these surveys,  the  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  and  Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR)  on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above in the country during last ten years are as follows:

Source: PLFS, MoSPI and Labour Bureau

| Year               | UR (in %)          | WPR (in %)         |
|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| EUS, Labour Bureau | EUS, Labour Bureau | EUS, Labour Bureau |
| 2012-13            | 4.0                | 51.0               |
| 2013-14            | 3.4                | 53.7               |
| 2015-16            | 3.7                | 50.5               |
| 2016-17            | 3.9                | 50.7               |
| PLFS, MoSPI        | PLFS, MoSPI        | PLFS, MoSPI        |
| 2017-18            | 6.0                | 46.8               |
| 2018-19            | 5.8                | 47.3               |
| 2019-20            | 4.8                | 50.9               |
| 2020-21            | 4.2                | 52.6               |
| 2021-22            | 4.1                | 52.9               |
| 2022-23            | 3.2                | 56.0               |

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. Further, there are many other methodological differences between these two surveys.

The PLFS data indicates that the unemployment rate in the country has a declining trend and employment has an increasing trend.

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 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 self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) was launched with effect from 1st October, 2020 to incentivise 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 12.11.2023, benefits have been provided to 60.48 lakhs beneficiaries under the scheme.

Government is implementing Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi  (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 22.11.2023, 78.08 lakh loans have been sanctioned under the scheme.

PM  Vishwakarma  Scheme  was  launched  on  17th  September,  2023  to provide  end-to-end  support  to  artisans  and  crafts  people  of  rural  and  urban areas  across  the  country.  The  Scheme  aims  to  strengthen  and  nurture  GuruShishya parampara or family-based practice of traditional skills by Vishwakarmas  working  with  their  hands  and  tools.  The  prime  focus  of  PM Vishwakarma is at improving the quality as well as the reach of products and services  of  artisans  and  craftspeople  and  to  ensure  that  they  are  integrated with the domestic and global value chains.

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  17.11.2023, more  than  44.41  crore  loans  amounting  to  Rs.  26.08  lakh  crore  have  been sanctioned since launch of 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.

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. DeenDayal Upadhyaya Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana  (DDU-GKY),  Rural  Self  Employment  and  Training Institutes (RSETIs) and Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) etc. for employment generation in the country.

There  are  two  skill  development  programme  for  rural  youth  under  DAYNRLM, namely, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment Training institutes (RSETIs). Both these programmes are aimed at increasing employability of rural youth, either for wage employment or self employment. Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  is  implementing Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) under Skill India Mission for skill based  training  of  the  youth  across  the  country  (including  youth  belonging  to rural  areas  under  Short  Term  Training  (STT)  courses  and  Recognition  of  Prior Learning (RPL). Under PMKVY, STT is linked to placement, while RPL does not mandate  placements  as  it  recognizes  the  existing  skills  of  candidate.  As  on 04.11.2023, 24.38 lakh candidates have been reported placed under the scheme. Besides these initiatives, various flagship programmes of the Government such as Stand-up India, Digital India, etc. are also oriented towards generating employment opportunities in the country. All these initiatives are expected to collectively generate employment in the medium to long term through multiplier-effects. The Code on Wages  2019  has provisions that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. Further, no employer shall make any discrimination on the ground of sex while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment,  except  where  the  employment  of  women  in  such  work  is prohibited or restricted by or under any law for the time being in force.

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