(a) whether the recent National Statistical Office (NSO) data revealed that unemployment rate is likely to be at 45-year high;
(b) if so, the response of the Government thereon;
(c) whether job data poses a policy challenge for the Government;
(d) if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Government has different view over the data released by the NSO; and
(f) if so, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]
(a)& (b): This Ministry has launched a new regularemployment-unemployment survey, namely, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) during 2017-18 with certain changes in survey methodology, data collection mechanism and sampling design vis-à-vis the earlier quinquennial (once in every five years)Employment and Unemployment surveys of NSSO. The PLFS was launched with an objective of measuring quarterly changes of various labour market statistical indicators in urban areas as well as generating the annual estimates of these indicators for rural and urban areas.
Based on the first estimates, available from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released on 31st May 2019, unemployment rate in usual status is 6.1 percent.
(c) & (d): The results of the PLFS give the distribution of employed and unemployed persons across the country on various parameters like education, etc. and which can be used as a basis for framing policies by the Government. The Government has also recently constituted Cabinet Committee on Employment & Skill Development among others.
(e) & (f): The Government has released the Annual Report [July, 2017 – June, 2018] and Quarterly Bulletin [October-December, 2018] of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on 31stMay, 2019.
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