Unemployment rate in J&K dips to 6.1% in 2023-24 from 6.7% in 2019-20
Year wise look at the unemployment rate showed that it was 6.1% in 2023-24, 4.4% in 2022-23, 5.2% in 2021-22, 5.9% in 2019-20 and 6.7% in 2019-20
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said that unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir has declined from 6.7% in 2019-20 to 6.1% in 2023-24 and claimed that the government has initiated a slew of measures to tide over the problem, including creation of 9.58 lakh livelihood opportunities through various schemes.
Responding to a question by NC MLA Mubarak Gul, minister incharge Javed Ahmad Dar said, “Improvement is also reflected on the labour force participation rate (LFPR) and workers population ratio (WPR), which rose to 64.3% and 60.4%, respectively, in 2023-24.”
Dar informed the house that the unemployment rate did not increase drastically in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. “The steady decline in the unemployment rate together with the increases in LFPR and WPR reflects the success of targeted policies and initiatives aimed at boosting the labour market to sustain economic growth, further reduce unemployment, and elevate the overall quality of life for J&K citizens,” Dar said.
However, year wise look at the unemployment rate showed that it was 6.1% in 2023-24, 4.4% in 2022-23, 5.2% in 2021-22, 5.9% in 2019-20 and 6.7% in 2019-20. Dar further said, “11,526 selections have been made by the J&K Public Service Commission and J&K Services Selection Board in the past two years — 4,836 (1,141 by JKPSC and 3,695 by JKSSB) in 2023, and 6,690 (1,034 by JKPSC and 56,756 by JKSSB) in 2024.
In the private sector, 45,688 unemployed youth were provided jobs in the industrial sector in 2022-23 (15,719) and 2023-24 (29,969), the minister informed the house.
In addition, 9.58 lakh self-employment opportunities were generated through schemes such as ‘Mumkin’, ‘Tejaswani’, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) in the last four years, the minister said, adding that 2,99,266 livelihood opportunities were created in 2021-22, 2,83,664 in 2022-23, 2,38,675 in 2023-24 and 1,36,165 in 2024-25 up to January this year.
Dar said the government has also taken major initiatives with a focus on youth development, entrepreneurship, and livelihood generation.
The government has initiated ‘Mission Yuva’ for self-employment and entrepreneurship to identify, support, and empower five lakh potential entrepreneurs through a structured and tech-enabled approach, the minister said.
In the last four years, 246 job fairs were organised by the government in which 4,893 placements were made by 2,760 companies, besides recommending 6,640 candidates for skill training. The government is also facilitating self-employment opportunities to job seekers through various line departments, the minister said, adding that it has started imparting skill development training across the Union Territory.
