The Union territory of Ladakh has witnessed the highest increase in the number of unemployed graduates in India between 2021-22 and 2022-23. According to the government, there has been a jump of over 16% in a year. The hill territory of Ladakh is not the only region affected by this trend. Other areas such as Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan have also experienced a rise in unemployment among graduates during the same period. Responding to a question by Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali in Parliament, the government denied that joblessness among graduate youths had increased. However, the labor ministry did not provide any answer regarding reports that claimed 42% of Indian graduates under the age of 25 were unemployed in 2021-22.
The government’s response stated that the estimated unemployment rate for graduate individuals aged 15 and above was 14.9% in 2021-22 and declined to 13.4% in 2022-23, indicating a decreasing trend in unemployment for graduates. The latest available annual PLFS reports suggest a marginal improvement in all-India figures in 2022-23. This improvement is attributed to better employment situations in some states and Union Territories, including Lakshadweep, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Manipur, and Mizoram. These regions showed an improvement in the employment status of graduates in 2023 compared to the previous year. Bihar also witnessed a decrease in the number of unemployed graduates from 20% to 16.6% in 2022-23. Haryana’s unemployment rate among graduates decreased from 18.4% in 2021-22 to 12.6% in 2022-23. Similarly, Karnataka saw a decline from 12.5% to 9.4% in 2022-23.
However, some areas still struggled with high unemployment rates among graduates. Uttar Pradesh had 11.3% unemployed graduates in 2021-22, which slightly improved to 11% in the following year. Jammu and Kashmir, on the other hand, witnessed a 4.5% drop in unemployed graduates, with the rate decreasing from 22.8% in 2021-22 to 18.3% in 2022-23.
Unemployment has been a persistent concern raised by several Members of Parliament. Most recently, opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi from the Congress party, raised the issue after the Parliament security breach, where two intruders claimed they were drawing attention to the lack of jobs in the country. To learn more, click on the link below.
