Lok Sabha Question No. 3792 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Employment Status  among Youth and Migrant Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Zia Ur Rehman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3792 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 TH  MARCH, 2026

## EMPLOYMENT STATUS AMONG YOUTH AND MIGRANT WORKERS 3792.      SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of high unemployment, underemployment and lack of formal job opportunities in Western Uttar Pradesh, particularly among youth and migrant workers;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  employment  generation programmes  and  labour  welfare  measures  implemented  by  the Government in the said region;
- (c) whether unemployment and job insecurity remain major concerns in other parts of the country; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  national  action  plan  to generate sustainable employment by the Government and strengthen labour protections?

## 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 in the country has decreased 17.8% in 2017-18 to 10.2% in 2023-24 and from 16.7% to 9.1% in the State of Uttar Pradesh during the same period.

Further,  the  estimated  Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR)  indicating employment (including formal jobs) on usual status for youth of age 1529 years in the country has increased from 31.4% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24 & from 28.1% to 39.0% State of Uttar Pradesh during the same period.

Government is implementing Prime Minister's Employment Generation  Programme  (PMEGP)  under  the  administrative  control  of Ministry  of  MSME  through  Khadi  and  Village  Industries  Commission (KVIC), for assisting entrepreneurs in setting up of new microenterprises  including  cottage  industries  involved  in  activities  such  as agro-based  food  processing,  beekeeping,  textiles,  leather,  etc  in  the country including Uttar Pradesh.

Employment  generation  coupled  with  improving  employability  is  a priority  of  the  Government.  Accordingly,  Government  is  implementing various  employment  generation  schemes/  programmes  in  the  country (including Uttar Pradesh). 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 for  Re-skilling/Up-skilling  of technologies initiated  'FutureSkills  PRIME'  a  programme IT Manpower for Employability in 10 new/emerging including Artificial Intelligence.

Government  is  implementing  Employment  Linked  Incentive  (ELI) Scheme named as the Pradhan  Mantri  Viksit  Bharat  Rozgar  Yojana  to 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

support employment  generation,  enhance employability and 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].

The  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  launched  eShram  portal (eshram.gov.in) which is a One-Stop-Solution for unorganized workers to have access to various social security schemes, Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the eShram -'One -StopSolution' on 21st October 2024. eShram -'One -StopSolution' entails integration of different social security/  welfare  schemes  at  single  portal  i.e.,  eShram.  This  enables unorganized  workers  registered  on  eShram  to  access  social  security schemes and see benefits availed by them so far, through eShram.So far, fourteen (14) schemes of different Central Ministries/ Departments have already been integrated/ mapped with the eShram to extend benefits and access  to  social  security,  health  insurance  and  accidental  claim  to eShram cardholders.

The four Labour Codes reduce multiplicity of definitions & authorities, facilitate use of technology, bring transparency & accountability in enforcement. Simultaneously, it strengthens the protection available to workers, including unorganized workers.

The  new  Labour  Codes  are  aligned  to  provide  social  security coverage and employment safety nets with emerging technological and economic realities which includes:

- (i) Universalisation of social security by extending coverage to organized and unorganised workers including gig and platform under the Code on Social Security, 2020, thereby strengthening protection against employment-related vulnerabilities.
- (ii) Labour  protection  measures,  including  re-skilling  funds  and  dispute resolution  under  the  Industrial  Relations  Code,  2020,  to  facilitate workforce adjustment during structural and technological changes.
- (iii) Adoption of digital systems, including electronic registration, license, filing of returns and technology-enabled inspections to ensure compliance.
- *****