ESIC scheme added 12.19 lakh new members in Oct

About 12.19 lakh new members joined the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)-run social security scheme in the month of October (2021) as against 13.57 in the previous month, National Statistical Office (NSO) data showed on Friday, giving an outlook of the formal sector employment scenario in the country.

According to the latest data, which is part of a report released by the NSO, gross new enrollments with ESIC stood at 10.78 lakh in April, 8.91 lakh in May, 10.68 lakh in June, 13.40 lakh in July and 13.47 lakh in August this year.

The figures for the months of June, July and August show a jump in enrollments after easing of COVID-induced restrictions by states post the second wave of the pandemic that hit the country in mid-April this year.

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The NSO report, according to PTI, showed that gross enrolments of new subscribers with ESIC were 1.15 crore in 2020-21, compared to 1.51 crore in 2019-20 and 1.49 crore in 2018-19.

From September 2017 to March 2018, around 83.35 lakh new subscribers joined the ESIC scheme. The report said gross new enrolments with ESIC from September 2017 to October 2021 were 5.82 crore.

The NSO report is based on the payroll data of new subscribers of various social security schemes run by ESIC, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

It has been releasing such data of these bodies since April 2018, covering the period starting from September 2017.

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According to the report, net new enrolments with retirement fund body EPFO stood at 12.73 lakh in October, down from 13.97 lakh in September 2021.

It showed that from September 2017 to October 2021, around 4.79 crore (gross) new subscribers joined the Employees' Provident Fund scheme.

The report, titled 'Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective - October 2021', said since the number of subscribers is from various sources, there are elements of overlap, and the estimates are not additive.

NSO also said the report gives different perspectives on the levels of employment in the formal sector and does not measure employment at a holistic level.