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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 107
TO BE ANSWERED ON 29TH JANUARY, 2026
ESTIMATED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
107. SHRI BIKASH RANJAN BHATTACHARYYA:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the estimated unemployment rate for the year 2025-26 based on
the data source on employment and unemployment, as per the
Periodic Labour Force Survey;
(b) the details of benefit of unorganised workers registering with
the e-Shram portal;
(c) the measures being taken by Government to regularise or
structure gig workers; and
(d) the number of unemployed youth in the country and the number
of jobs created since 2023?
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 available Annual PLFS reports, the estimated
Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years
and above has decreased from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24.
Further, the estimated Unemployment Rate on usual status for youth of
age 15-29 years and above has decreased from 17.8% in 2017-18 to
10.2% in 2023-24.
Also, as per the latest available Annual PLFS reports, the
estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) indicating employment on
usual status for persons of age 15 years and above in the country was
increased from 46.8% in 2017-18 to 58.2% in 2023-24 Further, the
estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for youth of age 15-29 years
has increased from 31.4% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24.The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched eShram portal
(eshram.gov.in) on 26th August 2021 for creation of a comprehensive
National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) seeded with
Aadhaar. eShram portal is meant to register and support the
unorganised workers by providing them a Universal Account Number
(UAN) on a self-declaration basis. In keeping with the vision of the
Budget Announcement on developing eShram as a One-Stop-Solution for
unorganized workers to have access to various social security
schemes, Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the eShram–
“One-Stop-Solution” on 21st October 2024.
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, insurance or skilled
development programmes to e-shram card holders including Pradhan
Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PMSVANidhi), Pradhan Mantri
Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin
(PMAY-G), Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-
PMJAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), Pradhan
Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) and
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandna Yojana (PMMVY), etc.
Apart from the above, eShram has linkages with National Career
Service (NCS) for Job Opportunities, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) for
Skill Development and Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM)
for Pension and convergance portal of MoHUA. For the first time, the
definition of ‘gig workers’ and ‘platform workers’ and provisions related
to the same have been provided in the Code on Social Security, 2020
which has come into force on 21.11.2025.
The Code provides for framing of suitable welfare schemes for
gig workers and platform workers on matters relating to life and
disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc.
The Code provides for setting up a Social Security Fund to finance
these welfare schemes.
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