Worker Population Ratio Surges from 46.8% to 58.2% Over 7 Years; Unemployment Falls to 3.2%
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New Delhi, Dec 5 (NationPress) The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which reflects employment levels, has notably escalated from 46.8 percent in 2017-18 to 58.2 percent in 2023-24, according to Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje during a session in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Concurrently, the Unemployment Rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 and older has significantly decreased from 6 percent to 3.2 percent in the same timeframe, as disclosed by the minister in a written statement.
The minister further elaborated that the Employment and Unemployment data is sourced from the Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which has been administered by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation since 2017-18.
This survey is conducted annually from July to June, and state-wise WPR data can be accessed on the website of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
According to the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), the estimated workforce has risen to 10.96 crore in 2022-23, up from 9.79 crore in 2021-22, the Minister noted.
ASUSE focuses on evaluating various economic and operational traits of unincorporated non-agricultural entities across manufacturing, trade, and other service sectors.
Moreover, over 7 crore new subscribers have joined the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from September 2017 to September 2024, indicating a rise in the formalization of the job market, she highlighted.
Referring to RBI data, the Minister revealed that employment in India surged to 64.33 crore in 2023-24 from 47.15 crore in 2014-15, marking a total employment increase of 17.18 crore during this duration.
These statistics are derived from the KLEMS (K: Capital, L: Labour, E: Energy, M: Materials, S: Services) database published by the Reserve Bank of India, which provides comprehensive employment estimates at a national level.
The government prioritizes employment generation paired with enhancing employability, the Minister asserted.
Outlining the initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to foster job creation, Shobha Karandlaje stated: "Various Ministries/Departments, including the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Textiles, and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology are executing numerous employment generation schemes/programmes such as the 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), and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), which, alongside enhanced capital expenditure, aims to stimulate job creation.
Additionally, the government has introduced the Prime Minister's package comprising five schemes and initiatives aimed at providing employment, skill development, and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a five-year period with a central budget allocation of Rs. 2 lakh crore in the Budget 2024-25, the Minister concluded.
