Unemployment highest in 5 years, paints grim picture of govt schemes
Unemployment rate in India has shot up to a five-year high of 5% in 2015-16, with the figure significantly higher at 8.7% for women as compared to 4.3% for men, says a report by the Labour Bureau.
Unemployment rate in India has shot up to a five-year high of 5% in 2015-16, with the figure significantly higher at 8.7% for women as compared to 4.3% for men, says a report by the Labour Bureau.
The figures could be an alarm bell for the BJP-ruled government at the Centre, which has taken a series of steps such as ‘Make in India’ to create jobs for inclusive growth in the country.
According to the fifth annual employment-unemployment survey at all-India level, about 77% of the households were reported to be having no regular wage/salaried person.
It said the unemployment rate was estimated to be 5% at all-India level under the UPS (Usual Principal Status) approach.
Unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2013-14, 4.7% (2012-13), 3.8% (2011-12) and 9.3% (2009-10). Labour Bureau did not bring out any such report for 2014-15.
“In rural sector, unemployment rate was 5.1% whereas in urban sector, the rate was 4.9% under the UPS approach,” the report said.
The figure was significantly higher among females compared to males. Female unemployment rate was estimated to be 8.7%, whereas for males it was 4.3%.
In urban areas, female unemployment rate was estimated to be 12.1% at pan-India level compared to 3.3% for males and 10.3% for transgenders.
The survey was conducted across all states and union territories during April 2015 to December 2015.
A total sample of 156,563 households was covered in the survey — 88,783 households in the rural sector and 67,780 in the urban sector.
Topping the chart among the states and union territories was Tripura (19.7%) followed by Sikkim (18.1%), Lakshadweep (16.1%), Andaman and Nicobar islands (12.7%), Kerala (12.5%) and Himachal Pradesh (10.6%).