**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Indian government's response to a parliamentary question (Unstarred Question No. 2391) regarding the unemployment rate in Assam, to be answered on December 15th, 2025. It provides unemployment statistics for Assam based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and outlines various government initiatives aimed at boosting employment, skill development, and entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly in the North Eastern Region. The document highlights schemes and programs implemented by various ministries and departments.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Unemployment Rate (UR) Statistics:**
* National overall UR (for persons aged 15 years and above) was 3.2% during 2022-23 and 2023-24.
* Assam's UR was 1.7% in 2022-23 and 3.9% in 2023-24.
* Assam's UR for 2023-24: Rural male (3.6%), Rural female (3.5%), Urban male (5.7%), Urban female (11.8%).
* Age-wise details available in PLFS reports at [https://www.mospi.gov.in/publications-reports](https://www.mospi.gov.in/publications-reports).
* **Government Initiatives:**
* Emphasis on employment generation and improving employability, especially for women and educated youth in Assam.
* Implementation of various employment generation schemes across the country, details at [https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes](https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes).
* Skill India Mission (SIM) for skill, re-skill, and up-skill training via an extensive network of skill development centers, schools, colleges and institutes.
* **Schemes and Programs:**
* Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS).
* Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) provides annual budgetary allocation to North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi).
* North East Enterprise Development Scheme (NEEDS) under MDONER offers interest-free loans (Rs. 300 crore allocation for 2021-22 to 2025-26).
* Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) Scheme for infrastructure, social development projects, and livelihood activities.
* **Employment Generation and Labour Laws:**
* Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme (Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana) to support employment generation with a focus on the manufacturing sector (Rs 99,446 Crore outlay).
* National Career Service (NCS) Portal for career-related services ([www.ncs.gov.in](http://www.ncs.gov.in)).
* Code on Social Security, 2020: 26 weeks paid maternity leave, mandatory crèche facilities (50+ employees).
* Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code, 2020: employment of women in all establishments, permission to work between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am with consent, safety measures required.
* **Union Budget Initiatives:**
* Setting up working women hostels in collaboration with industry, and establishing crèches.
**Impact Analysis**
**Citizens of Assam, particularly the Unemployed:**
* **Impact:** Affected by unemployment rates and benefit from the job creation and skill development initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Explore available government schemes and resources for employment and skill enhancement.
**Women in the Workforce:**
* **Impact:** Benefit from protective labor laws, maternity benefits, and initiatives promoting women's participation in the workforce.
* **Action Required:** Be aware of their rights under the Code on Social Security and OSH&WC Code.
**Enterprises in the North Eastern Region (MSMEs):**
* **Impact:** Have access to credit and financial support through schemes like NEEDS and the support of NEDFi.
* **Action Required:** Investigate and apply for relevant financial assistance and development programs.
**Ministry of Labour and Employment & Associated Agencies:**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and overseeing employment generation and skill development programs.
* **Action Required:** Ensure effective implementation of schemes and provide adequate resources and support.
**Government of Assam:**
* **Impact:** Collaboration with the Central Government to address unemployment in the state.
* **Action Required:** Work with the Central Government to promote and implement employment schemes effectively within Assam.
Key Entities Referenced
Assam: The Indian state, which is the primary focus of the unemployment rate analysis and government initiatives mentioned in the text.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): A survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) to collect official data on employment and unemployment.
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The government ministry responsible for addressing the unemployment rate issue and providing relevant information.
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security across all sectors.
PM-DevINE Scheme: The Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North Eastern Region Scheme aimed at funding infrastructure, supporting need-based social development projects.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2391
TO BE ANSWERED ON 15TH DECEMBER, 2025
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN ASSAM
2391. SHRI K SUDHAKARAN:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the current estimated overall unemployment rate in
Assam according to the last two reporting periods of the Periodic
Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and its comparison to the national
average during the same periods;
(b) the details of the estimated unemployment rate in percentage in
Assam, specifically for the last available reporting period in rural
and urban areas, gender and age-wise;
(c) the details of the specific measures taken by the Government in
collaboration with the Government of Assam to address the rising
unemployment among women and the educated youth in the said
State; and
(d) whether the Government has initiated any specialised skill
development or employment generation schemes tailored to the
economic requirements and geographic constraints of the North
Eastern Region and if so, the details thereof?
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 persons aged 15 years and
above was 3.2% during 2022-23 and 2023-24. In the State of Assam, the
corresponding UR was 1.7% in 2022-23 and 3.9% in 2023-24. During
2023-24, the UR was 3.6% and 3.5% for rural male and female whereas
5.7%, 11.8% for urban male and female respectively.Age-wise details of the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on
usual status are available in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
reports, which may be accessed at
https://www.mospi.gov.in/publications-reports.
Employment generation coupled with improving employability
(including for women and educated youth of Assam) is a priority of the
Government. Accordingly, Government is implementing various
employment generation schemes across the country (including North
Eastern Region). 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 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
(including Assam) to get future ready, equipped with industry relevant
skills.
Further, to facilitate credit access for the Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSME) & Micro Finance sectors in the North Eastern
Region, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)
has been providing annual budgetary allocation to North Eastern
Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), a Non-Banking Financial
Company (NBFC) under administrative control of MDoNER, in the form of
an interest free loan under the North East Enterprise Development
Scheme (NEEDS) for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, with a total
allocation of Rs. 300 crore
The Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern
Region (PM-DevINE) Scheme is a Central Sector initiative aimed at
funding infrastructure, supporting need-based social development
projects, enabling livelihood activities for youth and women, and
addressing development gaps across various sectors in the North
Eastern Region including Assam.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]
A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the
labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for
women workers. The Code on Social Security, 2020 has the provisions
for paid maternity leave of 26 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche
facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, etc.
The Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions (OSH&WC)
Code, 2020 permits the employment of women in all establishments and
for all types of work. It further allows women, with their consent, to
work between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, subject to conditions relating to
their safety, working hours, and holidays.
The Code also mandates that establishments must ensure
adequate safeguards and protective measures before deploying women
in any hazardous or dangerous processes.
The Union Budget (2024-25) announced setting up of working
women hostels in collaboration with industry, and establishing crèches,
for increasing participation of women in the workforce.
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