Lok Sabha Question No. 374 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Measures to Increase Employment Opportunities
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Smt. Manju Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 374

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 ND  FEBRUARY, 2026

## MEASURES TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

## 374.      SMT. MANJU SHARMA:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  alarmingly  high rate  of  unemployment  among  graduate  and  non-graduate  youth across the country;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  number  of  unemployed  youth  provided  with employment/jobs in the various regions of the country during the last three years and the current year; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  or  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government  to  increase  employment  opportunities  across  the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  to  (d):  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 youth of age 15-29 years has  decreased  from  17.8%  in  2017-18  to  10.2%  in  2023-24.  Also,  the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for graduate youth of  age  15-29  years  has  decreased  from  35.8%  in  2017-18  to  25.9%  in 2023-24.

Further,  as  per  the  latest  Annual  PLFS  reports,  the  estimated Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR)  indicating  employment  on  usual  status for youth of age 15-29 years in the country was 36.8% in 2021-22, 40.1% in 2022-23 and 41.7% in 2023-24. State/UT-wise information is available in  the  PLFS  reports  which  may  be  seen  at  the  website  of  MoSPI  at 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 onestop  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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