Lok Sabha Question No. 1229 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-28
Subject: Steps for Improving Workers Welfare and Social Security
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Thiru Dayanidhi Maran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1229 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 th  JULY, 2025

## STEPS FOR IMPROVING WORKERS WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY

1229.    SHRI THIRU DAYANIDHI MARAN :

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  current  unemployment  rate  in  the  Country, disaggregated  by  age  group,  gender  and  State-  wise  along  with comparision to pre-pandemic levels;
- (b) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  during  the  last five  years  to  address  the  issue  of  rising  youth  unemployment including job creation in the formal sector and skilling initiatives;
- (c) whether any assessment has been made by the Government on the growth  of  informal  and  gig  economy  jobs  and  if  so,  the  details thereof  including  the  impact  on  wages,  job  security  and  social protection;
- (d) the details of the measures taken by the Government to strengthen the  implementation  of  the  Code  on  Wages  and  Code  on  Social Security across the Country including monitoring mechanisms; and
- (e) whether the Government has any plan to consider an unemployment  allowance  or  support  scheme  for  youth  and  if  so, the details thereof along with the proposal and its implementation status and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) 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.

As per the latest available Annual  PLFS  reports, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and  above  has  decreased  from  6.0%  in  2017-18  to  3.2%  in  2023-24. Further, the estimated Unemployment Rate on usual status for youth of age  15-29  years  and  above  has  decreased  from  17.8%  in  2017-18  to 10.2% in 2023-24.

Also,  as  per  the  data  available  in  latest  Annual  PLFS  Reports,  the estimated  Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR),  indicating  employment  on usual status for youth of age 15-29 years has increased from 31.4% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24. Further, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for Women of age 15 years and above has increased from 22.0% in 2017-18 to 40.3% in 2023-24.

The detailed information disaggregated by age group, gender and State- wise along with comparision to pre-pandemic levels, is available in the PLFS reports which may be seen at https://www.mospi.gov.in/downloadreports?main\_cat=ODU5&cat=All&sub\_category=All

- (b) Employment  generation  coupled  with  improving  employability including youth is a priority of the Government. Accordingly, Government is implementing various employment generation schemes/ programmes.  These  interalia  include  Prime  Minister's  Employment Generation Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Deendayal  Antyodaya Yojana-  National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM),  Deen  Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs), Deen Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), PM Street  Vendor's  AtmaNirbhar  Nidhi  (PM  SVANidhi),  Pradhan  Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), etc. The details of various employment generation schemes/programmes being implemented by the Government may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes.

Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  has been implementing its flagship scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  (PMKVY),  since  2015  to  impart  skill  development  training through Short-Term Training (STT) and up-skilling and re-skilling through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to youth across the country with the to enhance the employability of youth by equipping them with industry relevant skills.

In  addition,  the  Union  Cabinet  has approved  the  Employment Linked  Incentive  (ELI)  Scheme  to  support  employment  generation, enhance  employability  and  social  security  across  all  sectors,  with special focus on the manufacturing sector.

Further, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, is running the National Career Service (NCS) Portal which is a one-stop solution  for  providing  career  related  services  including  jobs  from private  and  government  sectors,  information  on  online  &  offline  job fairs, job search & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information  on  skill  development  courses,  skill/training  programmes etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].

(c) As per an estimation by NITI Aayog vide its report titled 'India`s Booming  Gig  and  Platform  Economy'  published  in  June  2022,  the number of  gig  workers  and  platform  workers,  in  the  country  was  7.7 million in 2020-21, which is expected to rise to 23.5 million by 2029-30. The Code on Social Security 2020 provides for framing of suitable social  security  measures  for  gig  workers  and  platform  workers  on matters relating to life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc. The Code also provides for setting up a Social Security Fund to finance the welfare scheme. Recognizing the contribution of gig workers on online platforms, the Government in its Budget announcement made on 1.2.2025,    proposed  to  register  them  on  e-Shram  portal,  arrange  for their  identity  cards  and  provide  health  care  under  Ayushman  BharatPradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY) health scheme. (d) The  Central  Government  has  formulated  the  Code  on  Wages, 2019 and the Code on Social Security, 2020 and published the same in the Official Gazette for general information. 'Labour' as a subject is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India and the power to make rules under the Code on Wages, 2019 and the Code on Social Security, 2020  have  been  entrusted  to  Central  Government  as  well  as  State Governments. As a step towards implementation of the abovementioned  Codes,  the  Central  Government  has  pre-published  its  the draft Rules under both the Codes. As per available information, 34 and 32 States/Union Territories have pre-published the draft Rules under the Code on Wages, 2019, the Code on Social Security, 2020 respectively. (e) Under the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY), of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), unemployment benefit is  paid  to  insured  workers  who  lose  their  job,  as  per  eligibility.  The unemployment  benefit  under  the  ABVKY  has  been  enhanced  to  50%

- from 25% of the average daily earning, payable upto 90 days.
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