Unemployment Continues For Indian Youth

Data from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) states that the unemployment rate in the 15-24 age group was 23%. This figure pertains to the year 2019.

The unemployment situation of the youth reflected in the ILO and Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data for 2019 and 2021 shows that the economy of the country was suffering even before the pandemic, which has since made it worse.

The overall Indian unemployment rate was 5.36% in 2019 and is now 14.70% in 2021, according to CMIE. It rose from 6.20% at the end of January to 14.70% in May 2021. The major reason for increased unemployment rate between April to May 2021 is job loss rather than increased Labour Participation Rate (LPR).

According to the CMIE’s 18 th Consumer Pyramids Household Survey completed in 2019, the unemployment rate among youth, and particularly the urban educated youth among them, was very high.

• For age 15-19, the 2019 unemployment rate (UER) was 45%. In Jan-Apr 2021 it is 54.91%. Even if it considered a “student” age, finding employment if required got more difficult for this age group. •
• For age 20-24, UER was 37% in 2019, showing 20% increase in 2 years. In Jan-Apr 2021 UER was 38.15% for this group. •
• For age 25-29, UER was 11% in 2019, going up 3% since 2017. In Jan-Apr 2021 UER was 10.71

Even before the pandemic, the situation for youth was not optimistic, which has since worsened, particularly for the 20-24 age groups. CMIE has said that “2019, therefore saw a very severe worsening of conditions for the young graduates”

In 2019, for both age groups, i.e., 20-24 and 25-29 years, the unemployment rate of the educated (graduates) is higher than that of the group. This shows a lack of good quality jobs in the economy commensurate with their qualifications.

The UER for graduates in the 20-24 group was 60% against the group’s 37%. For the 25-29 age group, UER for graduates was 23.4% against 11% for the group. For both these age groups, 2019 was the worst in the preceding three years in terms of UER.

The sharp fall in UER after 30 years means that people settle for a lower quality of employment and thus living standards and are unable to afford to wait for suitable jobs any further. This shows a lack of opportunities for youth which is reflected in other indices such as the 2020 GYDI in which India ranked 122 nd in 181 countries.