Hard times: Young and unemployed in India

The unemployment rate for youngsters aged between 15 and 29 has increased marginally in India between 2009-10 and 2011-12 fiscals while the overall unemployment rate has remained almost unchanged during the period, a government report released on Friday said.

The unemployment rate for youngsters aged between 15 and 29 has increased marginally in India between 2009-10 and 2011-12 fiscals while the overall unemployment rate has remained almost unchanged during the period, a government report released on Friday said.

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About 285 million Indians fall in the 15-29 age group, which is about 9 % of India's population of 1.2 billion people.

They are also the ones joining the workforce. Increase in the unemployment rate by one percentage point in a period of two years hints that youngsters are facing difficulties in getting jobs.

A study conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on one lakh households across India also showed those with secondary and higher secondary as minimum education qualification were the worst-affected.

"At this level of educational qualification, there is maximum competition for jobs," said an NSSO official.

"Those with lesser qualification are willing to do any sort of work and those with higher qualification get jobs because of their education level," the official added.

The NSSO also said the unemployment rate for youngsters was higher in urban areas than that in rural India.

"The unemployment rate for the youth was 5% for rural males and females, and 8% and 13% for urban males and females, respectively," the report said.

Among the Indian states, the unemployment rate for the youth in rural areas was highest in Kerala followed by Assam and Uttarakhand.

In urban India, the unemployment rate was highest in Jammu and Kashmir followed by Kerala and Assam.