A R DAS
The latest annual Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the Ministry of Labour indicates a significant decline in the country’s unemployment rate over the past year with states like Haryana showing remarkable progress. According to the report, the national average unemployment rate is 3.2 per cent in 2023-24, a decrease from 5.1 per cent compared to last year 2022-23.
The report highlights that Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh have achieved the most substantial reductions in unemployment rates. Haryana has witnessed the sharpest drop in unemployment, falling from 9.2 per cent in 2022-23 to 3.4 per cent in 2023-24. In terms of reduction in unemployment rate, Tamil Nadu is in second place, while Chhattisgarh is in third and Madhya Pradesh is in fourth spot.
Despite this overall improvement, some states continue to face high unemployment rates. Goa tops the list with an unemployment rate of 8.5 per cent, followed by Kerala at 7.2 per cent and Nagaland at 7.1 per cent. In the Union Territories, Lakshadweep records the highest unemployment rate at 11.9 per cent.
Madhya Pradesh stands out as the only state where unemployment is below 1 per cent, with a rate of 0.9 per cent. Gujarat and Jharkhand also reported low rates, with unemployment at 1.1 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.
Focusing on youth unemployment aged between 15 to 29 years, Kerala faces a significant challenge, with approximately 30 per cent of young people unemployed. In terms of the worker-population ratio (WPR), which reflects the proportion of working people, Sikkim ranks highest at 58.2 per cent, while Bihar lags behind at 28 per cent. The national average WPR stands at 38.7 per cent.