Employment increases 36% to 64.33 crore in last ten years: Mansukh Mandaviya

The data assumes significance in the backdrop of pressure on the government for job creation in the country.

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said employment in the country has increased by 36 per cent to 64.33 crore in 2023-24 from 47.15 crore in 2014-15, reflecting an improvement in job creation during the NDA period.

Talking to media persons, the minister also stated that employment under the UPA grew by just about 7 per cent between 2004 to 2014. He noted that under the UPA government, between 2004 to 2014, only 2.9 crore additional jobs were created, whereas under the Modi government, between 2014-24, 17.19 crore jobs were added. In the last year alone (2023-24), the Modi government created around 4.6 crore jobs in the country, the minister stated.

The data assumes significance in the backdrop of pressure on the government for job creation in the country. Regarding the agriculture sector, the minister stated that employment declined by 16 per cent between 2004 to 2014 under UPA tenure, whereas it grew by 19 per cent between 2014-2023 under Modi tenure. Similarly, employment in the manufacturing sector grew by just 6 per cent between 2004 to 2014 under UPA tenure, while it increased by 15 per cent between 2014-2023 under Modi tenure.

Employment in the services sector grew by 25 per cent between 2004 to 2014 under the UPA tenure, while it increased by 36 per cent between 2014-2023 under Modi tenure. He also stated that the unemployment rate (UR) dropped from 6 per cent in 2017-18 to 3.2 per cent in 2023-24, while the employment rate (WPR) grew from 46.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 58.2 per cent in 2023-24. Similarly, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) grew from 49.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 60.1 per cent in 2023-24.

Regarding the growth in youth joining the formal job market, the minister informed that, in the last seven years (between September 2017-September 2024), over 4.7 crore youth (aged 18-28 years) have joined the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) fold.