Government Drives Employment Growth; Ministry of Labour & Employment Unveils Strategies

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. The survey period is July to June every year. As per the latest available Annual PLFS Reports, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status for age 15 years and above during 2022-23 was 56% and in rural areas, WPR was 59.4%.

The percentage distribution of workers on usual status by broad industry division during 2022-23 in the country and rural areas is at Annexure-I.

The State/UT-wise estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in the country including rural areas on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above during 2022-23 are at Annexure-II.

The KLEMS (K: Capital, L: Labour, E: Energy, M: Materials and S: Services) database published by Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) provides employment trends at all India level. As per the latest data of the database, provisional estimates for 2023-24, employment in the country increased to 64.33 crore in year 2023-24 compared to 47.5 crore in 2017-18. Total increase in employment during 2017-18 to 2023-24 is about 16.83 crore.

Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) Payroll Data gives an idea of the level of employment in the formal sector. More than 1.3 crore net subscribers joined EPFO during 2023-24. Moreover, during last six and half years (since September 2017 to March 2024) more than 6.2 crore net subscribers have joined EPFO, indicating increase in formalisation of employment.

Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government. Accordingly, the Government of India has taken various steps for generating employment in the country, including for rural areas.

The various Ministries/ Departments of Government of India like Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, etc. are implementing different employment generation schemes/ programmes  like Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs),  Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Production Linked Incentive,  etc. 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.

Annexure-I

Estimated distribution of workers on usual status (in %) by broad industry division during 2022-23

Source: PLFS, MoSPI

Annexure-II

State/UT-wise details of Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in the country on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above for the year 2022-23 (in %)

Source: PLFS, MoSPI