Source: Based on statistics given by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment in Lok Sabha on July 19 citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 19
For two consecutive years, Nagaland had the highest unemployment rate among the North East (NE) states, besides being 2nd highest in India as per the latest data available.
At 17.4% in 2018-19, Nagaland’s rate was nearly the double of Tripura, the state with the second highest unemployment rate in NE at 10.0%, informed the data given by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav in the Lok Sabha on July 19.
The Minister’s data was based on annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The last survey, with 2018-19 as referenced year, was released in June 2020. Sikkim had the lowest rate at just 3.1% while the all-India average was 5.8% in 2018-19.
Overall, Nagaland’s rate was second highest after the Union Territory of Lakshadweep at 31.6%.
The unemployment rate in Nagaland was an improvement over the previous PLFS (2017-18) when it had the highest unemployment rate among all States and UTs in India at 21.4%. The all-India average was then 6.0%.
Accordingly, on both referenced years, the Worker Population Ratio or the percentage of employed persons in the population was lowest in Nagaland with 32.8% (2017-18) and 38.1% (2018-19) respectively.
As per the NSO, PLFS was designed with two major objectives for the measurement of employment and unemployment.
First, it measures the labour force participation and employment status in the short time interval of three months for only the urban areas in the Current Weekly Status (CWS); and secondly, it measures labour force estimates on key parameters in both usual status (principal status + subsidiary status) and CWS for both rural and urban areas.
The PLFS for this year is yet to be released.
GOI’s initiatives for promoting employment generation
According to the Minister’s July 19 reply, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives for promoting employment generation in the country including Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) launched on October 1, 2020 to incentivize employers for creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of employment.
Earlier Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) was launched with effect from 01.04.2016 to incentivise employers for creation of new employment. Under the scheme, Government of India is paying Employer’s contribution i.e. 12% for a period of three years to the new employees earning upto Rs. 15,000/- through EPFO.
In addition,PM- SVANidhi Scheme has facilitated collateral free working capital loan upto Rs.10,000 for one-year tenure to street vendors, to help them resume their businesses during the post Covid period, it said.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is being implemented by the Government inter alia, for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY, collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities, it added.
The Minister also informed that the Government with the objective of enhancing employment generation, is encouraging various projects involving substantial investment and through public expenditure on schemes like Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) run by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), respectively.
Besides these initiatives, flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart City Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Housing for All, Infrastructure development and Industrial corridors have the potential to generate productive employment opportunities, he added.
