EPFO: Net new enrollments rise by 24% to 13.36 lakh in January

Industry-wise analysis indicates that the ‘expert services’ category continues to be the best performer with 5.65 lakh net payroll addition during January 2021

Shreeja Singh

March 22, 2021 / 08:22 PM IST

Net new enrollments under the retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation grew by 24 percent to 13.36 lakh in January month on month.

While the year-on-year comparison of payroll data indicates an increase of 27.79 percent in net subscribers’ as compared to the corresponding period last year, indicating a return to the pre-Covid levels of subscriber growth for EPFO.

Of the 13.36 lakh net subscribers added during the month of January 2021, around 8.20 lakh new members will receive the benefit of EPFO’s social security schemes for the first time. Around 5.16 lakh net subscribers exited and then rejoined EPFO indicating switching of jobs by the subscribers within the establishments covered by EPFO, labour ministry stated.

Net payroll addition data reflects that the number of members exiting EPFO has been declining continuously after the peaking in June 2020, during current financial year. This trend indicates that the adverse impact of COVID- 19 on members' exit from EPFO has gradually dissipated, it added.