Lok Sabha Question No. 2259 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: Low Productivity in Agriculture Jobs
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Tatkare Sunil Dattatrey

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2259

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## LOW PRODUCTIVITY IN AGRICULTURE JOBS

## 2259.  SHRI TATKARE SUNIL DATTATREY:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that India's demographic dividend is not being utilized  to  its  fullest  capacity,  as  people  remains  stuck  in  lowproductivity agricultural jobs or remains unemployed while preparing for competitive exams and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also a fact that India's Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in urban areas remains at a dismal 50%, as the manufacturing  sector  has  become  stagnant  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (c) the details of the measures taken by the Government to create more jobs and also to create an atmosphere of movement of workers from low-productivity  sectors  such  as  agriculture  to  higher  productivity jobs in manufacturing and services sectors?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c):  The official 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 every year.

As  per the data available in  latest  Annual  PLFS  Reports,  the estimated rural Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above has increased from 48.1% in 2017-18 to 62.1% in 2023-24. During the same period, rural Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above has decreased from 5.3 % to 2.5%.

Further, Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above in urban areas has increased from 43.9% in 201718  to  49.4%  in  2023-24.  The  estimated  urban  Labour  Force  Participation Rate  (LFPR)  on  usual  status  for  persons  of  age  15  years  and  above  has increased from 47.6% in 2017-18 to 52.0% in 2023-24. The  various  Ministries/  Departments  of  Government  of  India  are implementing different employment generation schemes/ programmes like Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deen Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana  (DDU-GKY),  Rural  Self Employment  and  Training  Institutes  (RSETIs),    Deendayal  Antyodaya Yojana-National  Urban  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NULM),  Pradhan  Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Production Linked Incentive (PLI) etc., which, along with increase in capital expenditure, seeks 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. Government  has  announced  in  Budget  202425,  Prime  Minister's package of 5 schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay  of  Rs.2  lakh  crores.  It  includes,  the  Employment  Linked  Incentive (ELI) scheme announced in Budget 2024-25, with an outlay of Rs 1,07,000 Crores,  which  aims  at  job  creation  and  formalisation  of  work  force  by providing  Social  Security  through  EPFO,  enhancing  employability  and incentivizing  additional  employment  generation  through  incentives  to employees and employers. incentivising employers  engaged  in  manufacturing  sector  for  formalization/creation  of jobs. Another part of ELI scheme is for incentivising industry in all sectors,

One part of ELI scheme specially focuses on including services.

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