**Executive Summary:**
This document presents the Ministry of Labour and Employment's response to questions regarding unemployment rates in India, particularly in Bihar, focusing on graduates, postgraduates, and youth. It outlines the government's perspective, based on Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data up to 2023-24. The document details various government schemes and initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment and enhancing employability through skill development and employment generation programs.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Unemployment Rate Trends:**
* The Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above decreased from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24.
* In Bihar, the UR for the same age group decreased from 7.0% in 2017-18 to 3.0% in 2023-24.
* **Unemployment Among Graduates and Postgraduates:**
* The UR for graduate persons (15 years and above) decreased from 17.2% in 2017-18 to 13.0% in 2023-24.
* The UR for postgraduate persons (15 years and above) decreased from 14.6% in 2017-18 to 12.4% in 2023-24.
* **Youth Unemployment:**
* The UR for youth aged 15-29 years decreased from 17.8% in 2017-18 to 10.2% in 2023-24.
* **Government Initiatives for Employment Generation:**
* The government is implementing schemes such as:
* Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)
* Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
* Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
* Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY)
* Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs)
* Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)
* PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)
* Stand-up India Scheme
* Start-up India
* Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)
* Skill India Mission (SIM) aims to provide skill, reskill, and upskill training through various schemes and institutions.
* Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana provides Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) to support employment generation.
* **National Career Service (NCS) Portal:**
* The Ministry of Labour and Employment operates the NCS portal (www.ncs.gov.in) for career-related services, including job information, career counseling, and skill development courses.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Unemployed Individuals:**
* *Impact:* Beneficiaries of decreased unemployment rates, increased job opportunities, and enhanced skill development programs.
* *Action Required:* Utilize available resources such as the NCS portal and participate in skill development programs to enhance employability.
* **Youth (15-29 years):**
* *Impact:* Benefit from focused initiatives aimed at reducing youth unemployment and improving skills relevant to industry demands.
* *Action Required:* Engage with Skill India Mission programs and other government schemes to acquire necessary skills and explore employment opportunities.
* **Graduates and Postgraduates:**
* *Impact:* Potential beneficiaries of decreased unemployment rates among educated individuals and opportunities for upskilling.
* *Action Required:* Leverage the NCS portal, participate in advanced skill training, and explore opportunities in growing sectors.
* **Government (Ministry of Labour and Employment):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for monitoring unemployment trends, implementing employment generation schemes, and ensuring the effective operation of the NCS portal.
* *Action Required:* Continue to analyze PLFS data, refine existing programs, and promote awareness of available resources to address unemployment challenges effectively.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The Indian government ministry responsible for labour and employment policies.
Bihar: A state in eastern India, specifically mentioned concerning unemployment rates.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): A survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to collect data on employment and unemployment in India.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI): The Indian government ministry responsible for statistical data collection, including employment statistics.
Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): An employment generation scheme of the Indian government.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): An Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the 'right to work'.
Skill India Mission (SIM): An initiative by the Government of India to train over 400 million people in different skills by 2022.
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: An Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security across all sectors.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3502
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11TH AUGUST, 2025
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN BIHAR
3502. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the current unemployment rate in the country,
State/UT-wise particularly in Bihar;
(b) the details of the percentage of graduates and postgraduates in
the 20–30 age group remain unemployed across the country;
(c) whether the Government anticipate a rise in youth unemployment
in the near future, if so, the details thereof along with potential
socio-economic imbalances might this lead to; and
(d) the details of the policy measures being considered by the
Government to address and mitigate the said challenges?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) : The official 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 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24.
Further, Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15
years and above in Bihar has decreased from 7.0% in 2017-18 to 3.0% in
2023-24.
State/UT-wise detailed information on Labour Market indicators
are available in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) reports, which
may be seen at https://www.mospi.gov.in/download-
reports?main_cat=ODU5&cat=All&sub_category=All(b): Further, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status
for graduate persons of age 15 years and above has decreased from
17.2% in 2017-18 to 13.0% in 2023-24 and UR on usual status for post-
graduate& above persons of age 15 years and above has decreased from
14.6% in 2017-18 to 12.4% in 2023-24.
(c) As per the latest available Annual PLFS reports, the estimated
Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for youth of age 15-29 years in
the country has decreased from 17.8% in 2017-18 to 10.2% in 2023-24
which is lower than the global unemployment rate of youth of 13.3 per
cent [As per World Employment and Social Outlook Trends, 2024
published by International Labour Organization (ILO)].
(d): Employment generation coupled with improving employability
including youth is a priority of the Government. Accordingly, Government
is implementing various employment generation schemes/programmes.
These inter-alia include Prime Minister’s Employment Generation
Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National
Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen
Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment and Training
Institutes (RSETIs), Deen Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban
Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NULM), PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi
(PM SVANidhi), Stand-up India Scheme, Start Up India , Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojana (PMMY), etc. 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). The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future
ready, equipped with industry relevant skills.In addition, the Government has approved 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.
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 information on
jobs from private and government sectors, information on online &
offline job fairs, job search & matching, career counselling, vocational
guidance, information on skill development courses, employability
enhancement programmes etc. through a digital
platform[www.ncs.gov.in].
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