New Delhi: On Thursday, the Congress strongly criticized the Modi government for its failure to generate employment, as unemployment continues to rise in both urban and rural areas.
In a statement, Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in-charge of communication, pointed out that unemployment remains a pressing issue in the country, alongside hidden underemployment. The significant shortfall of formal-sector job opportunities provided by the Modi government has contributed to this situation, he noted.
Underemployment in the Country
Referring to recent interactions by party leader Rahul Gandhi at Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi, Jairam highlighted Rahul Gandhi's observation that a substantial number of educated young individuals, including engineering graduates, struggle to secure formal employment and are compelled to take up precarious informal jobs like manual labor or porter work.
The Congress leader remarked that the Modi government has shattered the hopes and aspirations of India's youth to the extent that they not only lack employment but have also lost faith in the future. Consequently, they are reluctant to invest in education or training.
As a tragic consequence, the youth suicide rate (age below 30) has witnessed a sharp increase since 2016, reaching 4.9 per lakh population in 2021, the highest in 25 years, as emphasized in the statement. Rather than addressing the crisis of the demographic dividend turning into a demographic disaster, the Modi government might resort to manipulating National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2022 to conceal the alarming youth suicide rate.
Citing data from the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for 2021-22, the Congress General Secretary pointed out that formal sector employment remains 5.3% lower than it was in 2019-20. Moreover, the number of formal employers has plummeted by a significant 10.5% from 2019-20 to 2021-22, he stressed.
According to a report from Azim Premji University, in 2021-22, 42% of graduates under 25 were unemployed, and jobs in manufacturing saw a 31% decline between 2016-17 and March 2023, as per data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Jairam pointed out.
The most recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for January-March 2023 reveals that even in urban areas, less than 50% of workers hold salaried positions. The nationwide PLFS data, encompassing rural areas, paints a bleaker picture. In 2021-22, just 21% of workers had formal jobs, still lower than the pre-pandemic figure of 23%. Instead, self-employment and casual employment have risen, the statement emphasized.
These statistics unequivocally indicate that the unplanned lockdown, coupled with disastrous economic policies and government cronyism, have actually reduced formal employment opportunities for educated youth, according to the Congress.
The government's misguided policies have resulted in a situation where the number of available jobs is significantly lower than the number of job seekers. In January 2023, 8,000 candidates applied for 92 clerk positions at Gujarat University, including those with MSc and MTech degrees. In June 2023, 10.5 lakh people applied for 4,600 clerk posts in Maharashtra, including MBAs, engineers, and PhD holders. With economic distress eroding private sector jobs, highly educated youth are compelled to compete for a minuscule number of government positions
9.8 lakh vacant Union government posts
The public sector has also been shrinking under the Modi government, a point emphasised by the Congress. As of August 2022, there were 9.8 lakh vacant Union government posts. Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) indicates that government jobs declined by 20% between 2015-16 and 2022-23. India now has one of the lowest numbers of public employees per 1000 population, even lower than the USA, Brazil, and China, as highlighted by Jairam.
Instead of addressing the employment crisis, the Congress leader criticized the Modi government for its focus on hiding and distorting data and relying on gimmicks. They pointed out that, with respect to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) data, the government is touting unreliable monthly data instead of relying on stable annual estimates, ignoring the fact that monthly data is often revised by over 50% and contains significant discrepancies.
In a peculiar attempt to further conceal its failures in providing government employment, the Prime Minister personally organizes 'Rozgar Melas,' making a complete mockery of routine government processes, according to the Congress. Despite the existence of nearly 10 lakh vacancies in the public sector, the Modi government makes a grand show of issuing 50,000 job letters for positions that were already sanctioned, falsely claiming to be generating employment. Additionally, data obtained through Right to Information (RTI) requests from The Telegraph reveals that while all job letters at Rozgar Melas are presented as 'new recruits,' a significant number are merely promotions, as highlighted by Jairam.
One of the most disheartening statistics comes from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) April 2023 report, which reveals that a staggering 33% of India's youth neither have a job nor are engaged in educational or training courses. This figure rises to over 50% for women
