Labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya to chair meeting for an integrated system on capturing employment data

With employment generation a key priority of the Union Budget, the Ministry of Labour and Employment is now planning an integrated mechanism for the collection of regular employment data across ministries and states. The proposal, which is under discussion, is also expected to help understand trends and challenges of the job market and help create further opportunities.
 
With this in mind, Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair an inter-ministerial meeting with various ministries, departments and organisations on Friday. Sources said that representatives from as many as 20 ministries and departments are expected to attend the meeting.
 
“The meeting will focus on creating a strategic initiative that will systematically capture and analyse employment data and offer valuable insights into the job market,” said a source familiar with the development. Further, a comprehensive framework that would link the demand and supply sides of employment opportunities across the country would help the government ensure that job seekers are equipped with the requisite skills.
 
At present, there are several government schemes and programmes that help in the generation of direct and indirect employment opportunities but there is no comprehensive data on the jobs being created through these initiatives. “A 360-degree approach, that leverages existing initiatives, identifies systematic interventions, and builds synergies across different stakeholders is required,” said the source.
 
At present, official data on employment and unemployment is available through the Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and the KLEMS data of the Reserve Bank of India.
 
Creating adequate jobs for India’s labour force, with an estimated 8 million entrants annually, has been a focus area for the government. Several agencies in the past have warned that without adequate measures for this, India’s demographic dividend could soon turn into a missed opportunity.
 
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2024-25 has also announced five schemes for employment and skilling as part of the Prime Minister’s package with an outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. The package will facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period.