The youth unemployment rate for people aged 15-29 years was recorded higher than the national average in the poll-bound states of Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, the Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2022-2023 has revealed. The rate was, however, lower than the national average in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. However, it was less for Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The report was released by the National Sample Survey Office on Monday.
All five states will go to polls in November on various dates, and the counting of results for all states will be held on December 3.
The unemployment rate for the youth in the age group 15-29 years eased to 10 per cent in 2022-23 from 12.4 per cent in 2021-22, the survey revealed.
While it was 12.5 per cent for Rajasthan, it was 15.1 for Telangana and 11.9 per cent for Mizoram, for the other two states, it stands at 7.1 for Chhattisgarh and 4.4 per cent for Madhya Pradesh.
The youth unemployment rate remained high, especially for females, with Telangana and Mizoram recording an unemployment rate of 16.2 per cent and 16.4 per cent, respectively. For Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the youth unemployment rate for females stood at 6.1 per cent and 3.9 per cent, respectively in 2022-23.
The report was released by the National Sample Survey Office on Monday. The reference period here is from July 2022-June 2023.
Apart from the five states, around 24 states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Ladakh, Goa, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Haryana recorded a rate higher than the national average. The youth unemployment rate, for females went as high as over 40 per cent in 2022-23 (July-June) for Kerala, Goa, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Island, the survey revealed.
The survey found that in Lakshadweep the unemployment rate stood at 42 per cent for males, and 40.4 for females, while in Kerala it was 20.6 per cent for males and 43.8 for females. In Ladakh, 22.9 per cent for males, while it was 38 per cent for females.
Meanwhile, the Unemployment Rate (UR) in usual status for persons of age 15 years and above at the all-India level came down to 3.2 per cent in 2022-23 from 4.1 per cent in 2021-22. The usual status means that the employment (status of a person) is determined based on the reference period of 365 days preceding the date of the survey.
The UR was 4.2 per cent in 2020-21, 4.8 per cent in 2019-20, 5.8 per cent in 2018-19 and 6 per cent in 2017-18, the PLFS data showed.
“In rural areas, UR decreased from 5.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 2.4 per cent in 2022-23 while for urban areas it decreased from 7.7 per cent to 5.4 per cent. The UR for male in India decreased from 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 to 3.3 per cent in 2022-23 and corresponding decrease in UR for females was from 5.6 per cent to 2.9 per cent,” it stated.
Five Annual Reports are brought out on the basis of the data collected in PLFS during July 2017-June 2018, July 2018-June 2019, July 2019-June 2020, July 2020-June 2021 and July 2021-June 2022. The sixth Annual Report has been brought out by the NSSO on the basis of the Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted during July 2022-June 2023.
“The field work for the collection of information in respect of the samples, allotted for the period of July 2022-June 2023, was completed timely for the first visit as well as revisit samples, except for 51 first visit and 68 revisit FSUs for the State of Manipur, allotted in the last quarter, April-June 2023, which were treated as casualties, due to disturbed field situation and unavailability of internet services,” the report says.