Lok Sabha Question No. 261 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Unemployment of Youth
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Rahul Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 261

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 ND  FEBRUARY, 2026

## UNEMPLOYMENT OF YOUTH

## 261.      SHRI RAHUL GANDHI:

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

- (a) whether the Government acknowledges the existence of a graduate youth unemployment crisis in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the total number of jobs created for youth under the age  of  40  years  during  the  last  ten  years,  social  category  and gender, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of the average time taken by graduates with undergraduate  degrees  and  vocational  training  qualifications  to secure employment;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  review  of  the existing framework for measuring employment and unemployment in  light  of  concerns  raised  by  independent  economists  regarding the reliability and representativeness of official labour statistics; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a)  to  (e):  The  official  data  on  Employment  and  Unemployment  is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which is conducted  by  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18.

As per the latest Annual PLFS reports, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for graduate persons of age 15 years and above has decreased from 17.2% in 2017-18 to 13.0% in 202324.

Further, as per the latest Annual PLFS reports, the estimated Worker Population  Ratio  (WPR)  indicating  employment  (including  graduates)  on usual  status  for  persons  of  age  15  years  and  above  in  the  country  was 46.8% in  2017-18,  47.3%  in  2018-19,  50.9%  in  2019-20,  52.6%  in  2020-21, 52.9% in 2021-22, 56.0% in 2022-23 and 58.2% in 2023-24. State/UT-wise, gender-wise and category-wise information is available in the PLFS reports at which may be seen at the website of MoSPI https://www.mospi.gov.in/publications-reports .

Employment generation coupled with improving employability (including for youth) is a priority of the Government. Accordingly, Government  is  implementing  various  employment  generation  schemes/ programmes in the country. The details of various employment generation schemes/ programmes being implemented by the Government may be seen at   https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes.

Government is also implementing Skill India Mission (SIM) to deliver skill,  re-skill  and  up-skill  training  through  an  extensive  network  of  skill development  centres/ schools/ colleges /institutes etc. under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan  (JSS),  National  Apprenticeship  Promotion  Scheme  (NAPS)  and Craftsmen  Training  Scheme  (CTS)  through  Industrial  Training  Institutes (ITIs) in the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready, equipped with industry relevant skills.

Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology  (MeitY)  has initiated  'FutureSkills  PRIME'  a  programme  for  Re-skilling/Up-skilling  of  IT Manpower  for  Employability  in  10  new/emerging  technologies  including Artificial Intelligence.

Government  is  implementing  Employment  Linked  Incentive  (ELI) Scheme  named  as  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Viksit  Bharat  Rozgar  Yojana  to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security across  all  sectors,  with  special  focus  on  the  manufacturing  sector.  The scheme with an outlay of Rs 99,446 Crore aims to incentivize the creation of more than 3.5 Crore jobs in the country, over a period of 2 years.

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].

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