**Executive Summary**
This document answers the unstarred question number 100 raised in Lok Sabha regarding the status of employment in Fifth Scheduled Areas, to be answered on December 1st, 2025. It provides data on employment and unemployment collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). It also mentions various government initiatives and schemes aimed at generating employment and improving employability.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Data Collection and Unemployment Rates:**
* Employment and unemployment data are collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by MoSPI since 2017-18.
* The estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above decreased from 4.8% (2019-20) to 3.2% (2023-24).
* State/UT-wise information, including that for the 5th Scheduled Area States, is available in PLFS reports on the MoSPI website.
* Migration of workers is considered a continuous and dynamic process.
* **Government Initiatives for Employment Generation:**
* The Central Government, in coordination with State Governments, is implementing various developmental schemes to create employment opportunities and improve infrastructure.
* Employment generation and improved employability are a priority and a multi-stakeholder initiative.
* Various Ministries/Departments are implementing employment generation schemes like PMEGP, MGNREGS, DDU-GKY, RSETIs, DAY-NULM, PMMY, and National Handicrafts Development Programme.
* Details of these schemes are available at the provided website.
* The government is implementing Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme named as the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana with an outlay of Rs 99,446 Crore. The scheme is to incentivize the creation of more than 3.5 Crore jobs over a period of 2 years.
* The Ministry of Labour and Employment runs the National Career Service (NCS) Portal providing career-related services and information.
* **Wage Determination:**
* Under the Code on Wages, 2019, both Central and State Governments are responsible for fixing, reviewing, and revising minimum wages.
* The skill of workers (unskilled, skilled, semi-skilled, highly-skilled), geographical area, and arduousness of work (temperature, humidity, hazardous conditions) are considered for wage fixation.
* The Appropriate Government is empowered to periodically revise the Cost of living allowance.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Labour and Employment:**
* **Impact**: The ministry is responsible for providing employment-related services through the NCS portal and implementing the Code on Wages, 2019.
* **Action Required**: Continue running and improving the NCS portal to facilitate career services and ensure wage determination aligns with the Code on Wages, 2019.
**Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):**
* **Impact**: Responsible for conducting the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and providing data on employment and unemployment.
* **Action Required**: Continue conducting PLFS, ensuring data accuracy, and making reports accessible through their website.
**Central and State Governments:**
* **Impact**: Required to coordinate in implementing developmental schemes for employment generation and infrastructure improvement. Also, they are responsible for fixing, reviewing, and revising minimum wages under their respective jurisdiction.
* **Action Required**: Collaborate on implementing employment generation schemes, monitor their effectiveness, and ensure adherence to the Code on Wages, 2019 for wage determination.
**Workers in all States (especially those in the 5th Scheduled Areas):**
* **Impact**: Affected by employment generation schemes, wage rates, and the availability of career services.
* **Action Required**: Utilize the NCS portal for job search and career guidance; be aware of the minimum wage laws and report violations.
**Citizens of India:**
* **Impact**: Affected by the unemployment rate in the country.
* **Action Required**: Note that PLFS reports may be accessed from the MoSPI website.
Key Entities Referenced
Code on Wages, 2019: Governs the fixation, review, and revision of minimum wages.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): A survey conducted by MoSPI to collect data on employment and unemployment.
Ministry of Labour and Employment: Union Ministry responsible for addressing the questions raised about employment and unemployment in scheduled areas.
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: An Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme which supports employment generation.
5th Scheduled Areas: Areas with a concentration of tribal populations where the unemployment rate is being questioned.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 100
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01ST DECEMBER, 2025
STATUS OF EMPLOYMENT IN FIFTH SCHEDULED AREAS
100. SHRI RAJKUMAR ROAT:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the unemployment rate in the 5th Scheduled Areas
of the States in the country along with State-wise figures for all
Scheduled Areas during the last five years;
(b) whether the Government has made any efforts to stop a large
number of people migrating for employment to Gujarat from
Scheduled Areas of Rajasthan, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether there is any special scheme being implemented by the
Government to decline unemployment rate in the said areas, if so,
the details thereof;
(d) the details of the criteria for determining wage rate for skilled and
semi-skilled workers in the country along with current rates in all
the States; and
(e) whether the Government has any plan to increase the current rate
and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (e): 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.
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 4.8% in 2019-20 to 3.2% in 2023-24. The
detailed State/UT-wise information, including the 5th Scheduled Area
States of the country, is available in the PLFS reports which may be seen
at the website of MoSPI at https://www.mospi.gov.in/publications-reports
Migration of workers from one state to another state is a
continuous process and dynamic in nature.The Central Government in coordination with State Governments is
implementing various developmental schemes for creating employment
opportunities and improving infrastructure to encourage people to work
in their state, earn their livelihood and raise their quality of life near their
places of residence.
Employment generation coupled with improving employability of all
including youth, in both urban and rural areas, is a priority of
Government and is a multi-stakeholder initiative The various Ministries/
Departments of Government of India like Ministry of Micro, Small &
Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing
& Urban Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology etc. are implementing different
employment generation schemes/ programmes like 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), Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojana (PMMY), National Handicrafts Development Programme
etc., which, along with increase in capital expenditure, seeks to boost
employment creation. The details of various employment generation
schemes/programmes being implemented by the Government of India
may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes
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.
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].Under the provisions of Code on Wages, 2019, both Central
Government & State Governments are the Appropriate Governments to
fix, review & revise the minimum wages under their respective
jurisdiction. For the purpose of fixation of minimum rate of wages, the
Appropriate Government:
• shall primarily take into account the skill of workers required for
working under the categories of unskilled, skilled, semi-skilled and
highly-skilled or geographical area or both; and
• may in addition to such minimum rate of wages for certain
category of workers, take into account their arduousness of work
like temperature or humidity normally difficult to bear, hazardous
occupations or processes or underground work.
Further, the Appropriate Government is empowered to periodically
revise the Cost of living allowance (one of components of Minimum rate
of wages) under the Code on Wages, 2019.
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