Self-Help Groups have become backbone of rural transformation: Chouhan (See 'Corp Brief') HM inaugurates 'Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar' in Amreli, Gujarat (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - In action for passing off involving composite trademarks, anti-dissection rule is paramount: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Chouhan joins Khelo India Samvaad at Mata Sundari College in Delhi (See 'Corp Brief') Trade Mark - Mocha vs Mocha Kaffee - Injunction granted on use of deceptively similar and phonetically similar trade mark - prima facie case is made out that latter mark intents to ride on strong goodwill & reputation of the former: HC (See 'Legal Desk') SIDBI organizes conclave of Heads of RRBs for MSME Co-Lending arrangement (See 'Corp Brief') Prasada strengthens India-Morocco Economic Partnership (See 'Corp Brief') India, Seychelles hold Bilateral Meeting to strengthen Strategic Cooperation in Fisheries (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Violation of the principles of natural justice cannot be alleged when a financial institution denies an extension of time under circumstances marked by deliberate dilatory tactics: HC (See 'Legal Desk') CAQM conducts Special Surprise Inspection drive in Loni, Ghaziabad (See 'Corp Brief') High-Level Meeting between Indian Coast Guard and Vietnam Coast Guard held in Chennai (See 'Corp Brief') Limitation - Sufficient cause u/s 5 cannot be construed so liberally as to condone gross negligence, prolonged inaction or lack of bona fide - discretion to condone delay be exercised judicially rather than on sympathetic considerations: HC (See 'Legal Desk') PMFME Conclave 2026 Concludes with Recognition of Top-Performing States & Banks (See 'Corp Brief') CCI okays acquisition of stake in Kestrel Coal Group by Yancoal Australia (See 'Corp Brief') CCI approves acquisition of 100% share capital of Tao Digital Solutions by Cyient Ltd (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Without solid proof of 'deceptive similarity' or established market 'goodwill,' brand owner cannot restrain competitor from using common descriptive words or distinct symbols: HC (See 'Legal Desk') CSR must move beyond expenditure to outcomes & value addition for communities: IICA (See 'Corp Brief') Scindia commends C-DOT Scientists, Researchers and Young Officers (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Applicant may correct or amend trademark application so long as change does not amount to substantial alteration of mark originally applied for: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Railways launches Special Drive for Disinfection of Drinking Water Tanks (See 'Corp Brief') Regional Manthan Conference on Road Safety held (See 'Corp Brief') Minister highlights successful Blended Green-Finance Framework for Land Restoration (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Mere addition of descriptive suffix or insertion of corporate descriptors in trade name, does not sufficiently distinguish, particularly when competing goods target same class of consumers: HC (See 'Legal Desk') India Post accelerates Digital and Infrastructure Transformation with Upgraded Dak MITRA (See 'Corp Brief') NA-Allocated Talabira II & III Coal Mines mark Record Production in FY 2025-26 (See 'Corp Brief') MeitY Startup Hub, MSH Emerging as Key National Enabler for India's Startup (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - Bail denied where alleged offences involve large-scale cheating of investors and mobilisation of public funds, causing harm to individuals as well as to public confidence & economy: HC (See 'Legal Desk') India-Cambodia Bilateral Trade grows over 36% to USD 406.78 Million (See 'Corp Brief') India restored 21.76 mn ha land during 2011-2020: Yadav (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Extraordinary remedies such as forensic audit u/s 241-242 of Companies Act cannot be granted on mere allegations or shareholder distrust: NCLT (See 'Legal Desk') NCSK distributes Appreciation Certificates among Outstanding Safai Karamcharis (See 'Corp Brief') Stakeholders explore actionable measures to promote inclusivity across financial institutions (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - Writ court's intervention not needed in respect of a preliminary SCN proposing to conduct an inquiry & giving opportunity to petitioner to present objections: HC (See 'Legal Desk') EPFO urges establishments to utilize Employees' Enrolment Campaign, 2026 (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - Regulator cannot substitute its own commercial judgment for business decision of a company in relation to funding its wholly owned subsidiary: SAT (See 'Legal Desk') MoS delivers inaugural address at BRICS Science Ministerial Meet at Chennai (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - Noticee cannot be held liable for carrying out unregistered investment advisory activities or for promising assured returns where evidence does not exist to show that Noticee conducted core advisory activities: SEBI (See 'Legal Desk') Tete-a-tete around AI in banking sector often begins with algorithms (See CORP EINSICHT)

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6.2 Crore net subscribers joined EPFO between Sept, 2017 - March, 2024

Published: Jul 09, 2024

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, JULY 09, 2024: ACCORDING to PLFS and RBI's KLEMS data, India has generated more than 8 crore (80 million) employment opportunities from 2017-18 to 2021-22. This translates to an average of over 2 crore (20 million) employment per year, despite of the fact that the world economy was hit by COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-21 which contradicts Citigroup's assertion of India's inability to generate sufficient employment. This significant employment creation demonstrates the effectiveness of various government initiatives aimed at boosting employment across sectors.

PLFS data

The Annual PLFS report depicts an improving trend in labour market indicators related to: (i) Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), (ii) Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and (iii) Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons of age 15 years and above during 2017-18 to 2022-23. For instance, the WPR i.e. employment has increased from 46.8% in 2017-18 to 56% in 2022-23. Similarly, the labour force participation has also increased in the country from 49.8% in 2017-18 to 57.9% in 2022-23. The Unemployment Rate has declined from 6.0 % in 2017-18 to a low of 3.2% in 2022-23.

The PLFS data shows that during the last 5 years, more employment opportunities have been generated compared to the number of people joining the labour force, resulting in a consistent reduction in the unemployment rate. This is a clear indicator of the positive impact of government policies on employment. Contrary to the report, which suggests a dire employment scenario, the official data reveals a more optimistic picture of the Indian job market.

EPFO Data

The formal sector employment figures are also being bolstered by government efforts to improve ease of doing business, enhance skill development, and provide incentives for job creation in both the public and private sectors. The EPFO data suggests that more and more workers are joining formal jobs. During 2023-24, more than 1.3 crore subscribers joined EPFO which is more than double compared to 61.12 lakh joined EPFO during 2018-19. Moreover, during last six and half years (since September, 2017 to March, 2024) more than 6.2 crore net subscribers have joined EPFO.

New subscribers to NPS

The data from National Pension System (NPS) indicates that more than 7.75 lakh new subscribers have joined the NPS during 2023-24 under the Central and State governments which is 30% more than 5.94 lakh new subscribers joining NPS under government sector during 2022-23. This substantial increase in new subscribers highlights the government's proactive measures to fill-up the vacancies in public sector in timely manner.

Flexi-staffing sector

In a recent interaction of Indian Staffing Federation (ISF) members with Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, ISF members informed that they are employing about 5.4 million formal contract workers. Nearly 30% demand in the sector remains unfulfilled at frontline across manufacturing, retail, banking due to talent shortages and labour mobility. 

Multiple new opportunities

The future prospects of the employment market in India are highly encouraging, as evidenced by data from various sources. The Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India have shown remarkable growth in recent years. The gig economy also promises significant increase in workforce in the country. Notably, the NITI Aayog report on gig economy projects a substantial increase in platform workers, which is expected to reach 2.35 crore (23.5 million) by 2029-30, underscoring the rapid expansion of the gig economy. The gig workers are expected to form 6.7% of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1% of the total livelihood in India by 2029-30. These developments collectively reflect India's robust economic trajectory and its potential to generate diverse employment opportunities.

Data Credibility

It is well known that the private data sources, which the report/media refers to as more reliable, has several shortcomings. These surveys use their own derived definition of employment - unemployment which is not aligned to either national or international standards. The sample distribution and methodology are often critiqued for not being as robust or representative as official data sources like PLFS. Therefore, reliance on such private data sources over official statistics can lead to misleading conclusions and thus, should be used with caution.

Further, some authors use data selectively which undermines the credibility of their analysis and does not present an accurate picture of the employment scenario in India. Such reports fail to consider the positive trends and comprehensive data from official sources.

Summary

The official data sources like PLFS, RBI, EPFO, etc. show consistent improvements in the key labour market indicators, including increased Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and a declining Unemployment Rate during last five years. EPFO and NPS data further support the positive employment trends. The trends in manufacturing, expanding service sector, infrastructure growth, apart from others, including emerging opportunities in multiple sectors such as gig and platform economy and GCCs indicate robust future prospects.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment emphasizes the credibility and comprehensiveness of official data, cautioning against the selective use of private data sources that can lead to misleading conclusions about India's employment scenario.

The Government remains committed to creating a robust and inclusive job market, and the evidence suggests substantial progress is being made in this direction.

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