**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 1513 in Lok Sabha, concerning local employment opportunities for youth, especially in aspirational and backward districts. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment provides data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), highlighting the increase in the Worker Population Ratio (WPR). The response also details various government initiatives aimed at employment generation. The question was slated to be answered on February 9th, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Data Collection:**
* Data on employment and unemployment is collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18.
* The survey is conducted annually from July to June.
* **Employment Statistics:**
* The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for individuals aged 15 years and above has increased from 46.8% in 2017-18 to 58.2% in 2023-24 at national level.
* WPR has increased from 41.8% to 55.1% in Uttar Pradesh during the same period.
* **Government Initiatives:**
* Employment generation is a priority for the government.
* The government is implementing various employment generation schemes and programmes, details of which can be found at the provided web address: https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes.
* The Ministry of Labour and Employment runs the National Career Service (NCS) Portal as a one-stop solution for providing career-related services.
* The NCS project includes setting up Model Career Centres (MCCs) in collaboration with States/Institutions to connect jobseekers with opportunities.
* The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the e-Shram portal on 26.08.2021 to create a national database of unorganized workers.
* Four Labour Codes have come into force with effect from 21st November 2025. These codes aim to simplify and rationalize labor laws, reduce multiplicity, and strengthen worker protections.
* The government is implementing the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, named Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, to support employment generation with a special focus on the manufacturing sector. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 99,446 Crore.
**Impact Analysis**
**Youth in Aspirational and Backward Districts:**
* **Impact:** Addressed regarding the availability of local employment opportunities.
* **Action Required:** To utilize available resources like the National Career Service (NCS) Portal and Model Career Centres (MCCs) to find job opportunities.
**Unorganized Workers:**
* **Impact:** Provision of a Universal Account Number (UAN) through the e-Shram portal and access to various social security/welfare schemes.
* **Action Required:** To register on the e-Shram portal to avail benefits.
**Workers Across All Sectors:**
* **Impact:** Strengthened protections through the four new Labour Codes that came into effect on 21st November 2025.
* **Action Required:** To familiarize themselves with the provisions of the four Labour Codes.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The central ministry responsible for labor and employment policies mentioned in the document.
Labour Codes: Refers to the four codes: Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 which consolidated 29 Central Labour Acts.
e-Shram portal: A comprehensive national database of unorganized workers.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): A survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to collect data on employment and unemployment.
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme named as the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana to support employment generation.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1513
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09TH FEBRUARY, 2026
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH
1513. SHRI RAM SHIROMANI VERMA:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that there are not enough local employment
opportunities for the youth in the aspirational and backward districts of
the country especially in Shravasti and Balrampur of Uttar Pradesh
resulting in large scale migration and if so, the reasons therefor;
(b) whether the Government is effectively implementing Social Security and
Labour Welfare Schemes under EPF, ESI and Labour Codes in the said
districts and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any special Scheme has been implemented for local
employment, permanent work and livelihood support for labourers living
in flood affected areas and forest border areas and if so, the details
thereof; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to implement a special labour and
employment package for generating permanent employment
opportunities in aspirational districts of the country and if so, the details
thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (d): 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), indicating employment, on usual status for age 15
years and above has increased from 46.8% in 2017-18 to 58.2% in 2023-24 in
the country and from 41.8% to 55.1% in Uttar Pradesh during the same period.
Employment generation coupled with improving employability of the
youth is a priority of the Government. Accordingly, Government is implementing
various employment generation schemes/ programmes. The details of various
employment generation schemes/programmes being implemented by the
Government may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes.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 information on jobs from private and
government sectors, online & offline job fairs, job search & matching, career
counselling, vocational guidance, skill development courses, skill/training
programmes etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].
The NCS project also inter alia, envisages setting up of Model Career
Centres (MCCs) in collaboration with States/Institutions to deliver employment
services. These centres connect local youth and other jobseekers with all
possible job opportunities in a transparent and effective manner through the
use of technology as well as through counselling and training.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment had launched e-Shram portal on
26.08.2021 for creation of a Comprehensive National Database of Unorganised
Workers. The e-Shram portal is meant to register and support the unorganised
workers by providing them a Universal Account Number (UAN) on a self-
declaration basis. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also launched
the e-Shram- ‘One-Stop-Solution’ that entails integration of different social
security/welfare schemes at single portal i.e., e-Shram. This is envisaged to
enable unorganised workers registered on e-Shram to access social security
schemes and see benefits availed by them so far, through e-Shram.
The Central Government has formulated the four Labour Codes, namely,
the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on
Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working
Conditions Code, 2020 after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalising the
relevant provisions of the previous 29 Central Labour Acts. The four Labour
Codes have come into force with effect from 21st November 2025 across the
country.
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.
In addition, the Government is implementing Employment Linked
Incentive (ELI) Scheme named as the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar
Yojana to support employment generation, enhance employability and 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 years.
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