SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the highest unemployment rate of 17.8% by the end of the year 2020.
The latest PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) for Q3FY21 reveals that Jammu and Kashmir had the highest unemployment rate of 17.8% during the period, followed by Kerala at 16.7% and Jharkhand at 16%. Gujarat had the lowest unemployment rate among states at 4%, slower than 4.5% in the previous quarter. Twelve states recorded double-digit unemployment rates during this period, compared with 22 states in the April-June quarter of 2020. Eight states had recorded double-digit unemployment in the October-December quarter of 2019-20.
The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force, while labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons.
The periodic labour force survey was launched in 2017. The quarterly survey gives an insight into labour force indicators namely unemployment rate, worker population ratio, labour force participation rate, distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in current weekly status etc.
The employment registration carried out by the Directorate of Employment last year witnessed 3 lakh registrations by postgraduates and PHD degree holders.
Several months back, the J&K Service Selection Board advertisement for 8575 class IV posts saw a whopping 4.4 lakh aspirants had applied out of which 3.286 lakh candidates appeared.
The unemployment rate in urban areas of India remained in double digits for the third consecutive quarter at 10.3% during October-December, higher than 7.8% a year ago, as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic weighed on jobs, Times Of India quoted the official data as having said.
The unemployment rate for females was higher at 13.1% during the October-December quarter compared to 9.5% for males. The unemployment rate during the year-ago quarter was 9.8% for females and 7.3% for males, according to the PLFS quarterly bulletin released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). Youth unemployment rate (15-29 years) during the three months to December was at 24.9%, lower than 27.7% in the previous quarter and higher than 19.2% a year ago, said the report.
