India adds nearly 17 crore jobs in 6 years

Reflecting the government’s focus on youth-centric policies and its Viksit Bharat vision, employment in India rose to 64.33 crore in 2023-24 compared to 47.5 crore in 2017-18 − a net addition of 16.83 crore jobs over six years, an official statement said on Saturday, citing the Ministry of Labour and Employment data.

The unemployment rate slumped from 6.0 per cent in 2017-18 to 3.2 per cent in 2023-24. About 1.56 crore women have joined formal workforce in the past seven years.

“This growth is especially significant because from an economic standpoint, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone cannot fully capture a nation’s true development. A more accurate picture emerges when multiple macroeconomic indicators are considered − with employment being one of the most critical,” according to the statement. According to the recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), at the all-India level, both key indicators of employment showed improvement between June and August 2025.

LFPR (Labour Force Participation Rate) − which measures the share of people aged 15+ who are working or seeking work − rose from 54.2 per cent in June to 55 per cent in August.

WPR (Worker Population Ratio) − which reflects the share of employed persons in the population − also increased from 51.2 per cent in June to 52.2 per cent in August.

The rise in WPR was observed in both rural and urban areas, contributing to the overall national improvement.

On a broader level, LFPR for individuals aged 15 years and above rose from 49.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 60.1 per cent in 2023-24 and WPR increased from 46.8 per cent to 58.2 per cent.

Looking at sectoral trends, in the April-June 2025 quarter, the agriculture sector engaged the majority of rural workers (44.6 per cent of men and 70.9 per cent of women), while the tertiary sector was the largest source of employment in urban areas (60.6 per cent of men and 64.9 per cent of women).

On average, 56.4 crore persons (aged 15 years and above) were employed in the country during this quarter, of which 39.7 crore were men and 16.7 crore were women, as per the official data.

In 2024-25, over 1.29 crore net subscribers were added to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), up from 61.12 lakh in 2018-19. Besides, there has been a clear shift in employment patterns as self-employment rose from 52.2 per cent in 2017-18 to 58.4 per cent in 2023-24, while casual labour fell from 24.9 per cent to 19.8 per cent, indicating a move toward entrepreneurial and independent work, supported by government initiatives.

“Employment carries both economic and social weight: higher job levels signal a stronger economy, stimulate consumption, and fuel sustained growth. For development to be meaningful, economic expansion must translate into the creation of productive, well-paying jobs that enhance livelihoods and social stability,” the statement said.

Indo-Asian News Service