**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 374, concerning measures to increase employment opportunities for youth in India, to be answered on February 2nd, 2026. It outlines the government's data collection methods, recent trends in unemployment rates, and ongoing initiatives aimed at improving employability and generating employment. The response highlights various schemes and programs being implemented by the government.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Data Collection and Unemployment Statistics:**
* Official employment and unemployment data is gathered through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18.
* The Unemployment Rate (UR) for youth aged 15-29 years decreased from 17.8% in 2017-18 to 10.2% in 2023-24.
* The UR for graduate youth aged 15-29 years decreased from 35.8% in 2017-18 to 25.9% in 2023-24.
* The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for youth aged 15-29 increased from 36.8% in 2021-22 to 41.7% in 2023-24.
* State/UT-wise information is available on the MoSPI website.
* **Government Initiatives for Employment Generation:**
* The government prioritizes employment generation and improving employability.
* The government is implementing various employment generation schemes and programmes. Details available at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes.
* The Skill India Mission (SIM) delivers skill, re-skill, and up-skill training through a network of centers under various schemes like PMKVY, JSS, NAPS, and CTS.
* The SIM aims to equip Indian youth with industry-relevant skills.
* MeitY's 'FutureSkills PRIME' program focuses on re-skilling/up-skilling IT manpower in emerging technologies, including AI.
* The Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, incentivizes job creation, enhances employability, and promotes social security, focusing on the manufacturing sector.
* The ELI scheme has an outlay of Rs 99,446 Crore and aims to incentivize the creation of over 3.5 Crore jobs in 2 years.
* The National Career Service (NCS) Portal provides career-related services, including job postings, information on job fairs, career counseling, and skill development courses.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Unemployed Youth (Graduates and Non-Graduates)**
* **Impact:** The document shows that the government is aware of the problem. Additionally, the unemployment rate has improved over time. Youth are intended to be impacted by the various government programs to increase employment opportunity.
* **Action Required:** Review the NCS Portal ([www.ncs.gov.in](http://www.ncs.gov.in)) for available opportunities and skill development courses and evaluate the schemes listed.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Labour and Employment**
* **Impact:** They are responsible for answering the question and overseeing various employment-related initiatives. They are responsible for implementing various employment programs.
* **Action Required:** Continue implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of employment generation schemes.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)**
* **Impact:** They are responsible for collecting and providing the data on employment and unemployment.
* **Action Required:** Continue conducting the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and make data accessible.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The ministry responsible for addressing unemployment and increasing employment opportunities as stated in the Lok Sabha question.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): The primary data source for official employment and unemployment statistics in India.
Skill India Mission (SIM): A government initiative to provide skill, re-skill, and up-skill training to enhance employability.
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: An Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme aimed at supporting employment generation across sectors, particularly manufacturing.
National Career Service (NCS) Portal: A platform providing career-related services, including job listings and skill development information.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 374
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02ND FEBRUARY, 2026
MEASURES TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
374. SMT. MANJU SHARMA:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the alarmingly high
rate of unemployment among graduate and non-graduate youth
across the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of the number of unemployed youth provided with
employment/jobs in the various regions of the country during the
last three years and the current year; and
(d) the details of the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the
Government to increase employment opportunities across the
country?
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 Annual PLFS reports, the estimated
Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for youth of age 15-29 years
has decreased from 17.8% in 2017-18 to 10.2% in 2023-24. Also, the
estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for graduate youth
of age 15-29 years has decreased from 35.8% in 2017-18 to 25.9% in
2023-24.
Further, as per the latest Annual PLFS reports, the estimated
Worker Population Ratio (WPR) indicating employment on usual status
for youth of age 15-29 years in the country was 36.8% in 2021-22, 40.1%
in 2022-23 and 41.7% in 2023-24. State/UT-wise information is available
in the PLFS reports which may be seen at the website of MoSPI at
https://www.mospi.gov.in/publications-reports.Employment generation coupled with improving employability
(including for youth) is a priority of the Government. Accordingly,
Government is implementing various employment generation schemes/
programmes in the country. The details of various employment
generation schemes/ programmes being implemented by the Government
may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes.
Government is also implementing Skill India Mission (SIM) to
deliver skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of
skill development centres/ schools/ colleges /institutes etc. under
various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY),
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion
Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial
Training Institutes (ITIs) in the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth
of India to get future ready, equipped with industry relevant skills.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has
initiated ‘FutureSkills PRIME’ a programme for Re-skilling/Up-skilling of
IT Manpower for Employability in 10 new/emerging technologies
including Artificial Intelligence.
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.
Further, 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 jobs from
private and government sectors, information on online & offline job fairs,
job search & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance,
information on skill development courses, skill/training programmes etc.
through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].
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