Image: Aspirants check out sitting arrangements during a government recruitment exam in 2022; Data Source: Periodic Labour Force Survey (Various Years), Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India;
Unemployment rate falls for second consecutive years
Moa Jamir
Dimapur | February 26
After two years of maintaining the unflattering distinction of having the highest unemployment rate among the States and Union Territories (UTs) in India, Nagaland registered a sharp decline during the period from July 2021-June 2022, informed the latest all India labour survey by the Government of India.
However, it was still fourth in the list of States or UTs with highest unemployment rate, according to the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for July 2021 to June 2022, released by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on February 24.
As per the survey, unemployment rate in Nagaland in the 15 years and above category declined from a concerning 19.2% in 2020-21 to 9.1% in 2021-2022. For age group 15-59 years, it was 9.7% in Nagaland.
The decline from 19.2% to 9.1% indicates over 52% fall in unemployment rate in Nagaland. The unemployment rate was hovering at as high as 25.7% in 2019-20 and the 2021-22 figure represent a two-year consecutive fall.
Despite the fall, however, Nagaland was fourth among 36 States and UTs with the highest unemployment rate in India.
Lakshadweep regained the highest status at 17.2% unemployment rate in the 15 years and above age group, while Goa was second at 12%, followed by Kerala at 9.6%.
At 1.6, it was lowest in Sikkim, followed by 2% in Jharkhand and 2.1 in Madhya Pradesh.
Among the North-East States, Manipur was closest to Nagaland at unemployment rate of 9%, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (7.7%), Mizoram (5.4%), Assam (3.8), and Tripura (3.3).
Meghalaya also had a low rate at 2.6%.
Overall, during the same period, unemployment rate in India fell marginally to 4.1% from 4.8% in the previous year.
In other words, during the period from July 2021 to June 2022, a total 4.1% of adults looking for a job were unemployed across India against 9.1% in Nagaland.
The PLFS report further indicated that at 24%, the unemployment rate in urban area of Nagaland was higher than rural area at 17.7% in the 15 years and above age group.
Male unemployment was higher in rural area (18.7%) against 16.1% females, while in urban area, it was reversed with 31.8% female and 20.5% male unemployment rate. The all-India unemployment rate for rural area was 3.3% against 8.6% in urban area.
Youth unemployment
The PLFS report still highlighted a concerning scenario among the youth in the 15-29 years age group, with nearly one-third of them unemployed.
A total of 30.9% of them were unemployed during July 2021 to June 2022 in Nagaland, as per the report. In rural Nagaland, 27.7 youth were unemployed while it was 40.4% in the urban areas.
In a consolation note, however, this is a decline from 55.2% reflected in unemployed during July 2020 to June 2021 survey and massive 70.1% recorded in 2019-20.
Here too, Lakshadweep had the highest rate at 48.1% and the States with youth (15-29 years) unemployment rate higher than 30% were Goa, Kerala, and Manipur.
The national average of youth unemployment rate in 2021-22 was 12.4%.
The PLFS is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under MoSPI since 2017 and the fourth annual report was based on the data collected for the period July 2020-June 2021.
MoSPI informed that the survey in Nagaland covered 72 villages, 576 households and 2,344 persons in rural areas, while 56 blocks, 448 households and 1,810 persons were taken as sample for urban areas.
The unemployment rate cited above is based on usual status (i.e. usual principal status and the subsidiary status), which estimates persons who either worked or were seeking/available for work for a relatively long part of the 365 days preceding the date of survey and those from the remaining population who had worked at least for 30 days during the reference period.
