India added 17 crore jobs since 2017-18: Youth unemployment falls; female participation tops 40%

NEW DELHI: India’s workforce has seen a major leap over the previous six years, with the variety of employed folks rising from 47.5 crore in 2017-18 to 64.33 crore in 2023-24, Union minister of state for labour and employment Shobha Karandlaje knowledgeable the Lok Sabha on Thursday, citing information from the Reserve Bank of India’s KLEMS database.In a written reply, the minister additionally highlighted a gentle rise in ladies’s participation within the workforce. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for ladies aged 15 and above elevated from 28.7% in 2019-20 to 40.3% in 2023-24, primarily based on information from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).The announcement got here a day after the labour ministry rebutted a media report questioning the credibility of India’s unemployment figures. The ministry defended the PLFS, calling it “globally recognized” and aligned with worldwide requirements akin to these set by the International Labour Organization (ILO).(*17*)It additionally famous that PLFS transitioned to producing month-to-month estimates from January 2025, enabling extra frequent and well timed updates on labour market tendencies. The methodology, the ministry stated, makes use of large-scale stratified random sampling throughout each city and rural areas.Key labour indicators have proven an enhancing pattern:

“These improvements signal higher engagement of the working-age population in productive employment,” the ministry stated, rejecting claims of rising joblessness, particularly amongst India’s youth.