Janardan Singh Sigriwal, MP in the Lok Sabha, asked whether the Minister of Labor and Employment would be pleased to state the details of recent data on the total number of unemployed persons in the country, State/Union Territory and age wise, along with the steps taken by the Government to address the rise in the unemployment rate.
He asked, whether further details of the initiatives taken by the Government to enhance skill development and vocational training to address the skill‑gap contributing to unemployment and details of the measures taken/being taken by the Government to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to generate employment opportunities, and whether the Government has conducted any study to assess the economic impact of the rising unemployment rate? If so, details thereof and whether the Government has any long-term strategy to ensure sustainable employment growth to reduce the unemployment rate and if so, details thereof.
What response has the Central Government given?
Responding, Minister of State for Labor and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said that official data on employment and unemployment is collected through the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS), which is being conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18. According to the latest annual PLFS report, the projected unemployment rate (UR) under normal conditions for persons aged 15 years and above has declined from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24.
The Minister said that State/UT-wise and age-wise information is available in the PLFS report, which can be accessed on the MoSPI website (link not available). Employment generation and improving the efficiency of youth is the priority of the government. The government is implementing various employment generation schemes/programmes in the country. Details of various employment generation schemes/programmes can be seen at (link not available).
The minister said that the government is also implementing the Skill India Mission (SIM), whose objective is to prepare the youth for the future by providing them with industry-relevant skills. It provides skills, re-skilling and advancement training through various schemes, such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Training Incentive Scheme (NAPS) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
‘Government is implementing many schemes’
He informed that the Government of India, through the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), is implementing various schemes for the promotion and development of MSMEs across the country. These include Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP), Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Micro Enterprises (CGTMSE), Micro and Micro Enterprises‑Cluster Development Program (MSE‑CDP), Entrepreneurship Skill Development Program (ESDP), Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme (PMSS), MSME Performance Improvement (RAMP), International Cooperation Scheme, Tool Rooms, Technology Center System Program (TCSP), National SC/ST Hub (NSSH), MSME Champions, PM Vishwakarma etc.
‘Have taken several initiatives to support MSME sector across the country’
Giving information, the Minister said that the government has taken several initiatives to support the MSME sector across the country. Some of these include registration of MSMEs through “Udyam Registration” to facilitate business. Integration of Udyam Portal and National Career Service (NCS), allowing registered MSMEs to search for job seekers on NCS. Launch of Udyam Assist Platform (UAP) to bring informal micro enterprises (IMEs) into the formal sector so that they can avail benefits under Priority Sector Lending (PSL). Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched ‘Futureskills PRIME’ program which aims to provide re-skilling/upgradation training to IT employees in 10 new/emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.
He informed that the government is implementing the Employment‑Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Bharat Rojgar Yojana, which aims to promote employment generation, efficiency improvement and social security, especially in the manufacturing sector. The scheme aims to create more than 3.5 crore jobs in the country in 2 years, with a budget of ₹99,446 crore.
The Ministry of Labor and Employment, Government of India, is running the National Career Service (NCS) portal, which is a digital platform that provides information on jobs in private and government sectors, online and offline job fairs, job search and matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, skill development courses, training programs etc.
