April payroll sees 19.14 lakh EPFO additions, Maharashtra tops chart with 31% jump in net additions from March

In a sharp uptick that signals growing employment momentum, the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) reported a net addition of 19.14 lakh members for April 2025 — marking a 31.31% surge over the previous month. Compared to April 2024, this figure reflects a modest but encouraging year-on-year growth of 1.17%. The increase points to expanding job opportunities and deeper engagement with employee benefits, bolstered by EPFO’s strategic outreach efforts.

EPFO registered 8.49 lakh new subscribers in April 2025, a 12.49% rise from March. The surge is credited to stronger hiring trends and improved awareness around provident fund benefits, supported by EPFO’s outreach drives.

A closer look at the data shows a clear tilt toward younger workers. The 18-25 age group accounted for 4.89 lakh of new subscribers — 57.67% of total new joiners — up 10.05% from March. For this age group, net payroll addition hit approximately 7.58 lakh, reflecting a 13.60% monthly growth. This continues the trend of youth driving organized sector entry, largely as first-time job seekers.

In addition, 15.77 lakh members who had exited the EPFO system earlier rejoined in April, marking a 19.19% increase over March and an 8.56% rise compared to April 2024. These individuals opted to transfer their provident fund savings rather than withdraw, reinforcing long-term financial planning and social security coverage.

Female participation also saw a strong month. Around 2.45 lakh new female subscribers joined EPFO in April — up 17.63% from March. Net female payroll additions stood at 3.95 lakh, with a notable 35.24% increase month-on-month. The trend underlines a shift toward a more gender-diverse workforce.

State-wise, five regions led the charge, contributing about 60.10% of the net additions. Maharashtra topped the list, accounting for 21.12% of the month’s total. Other key contributors included Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana — all individually contributing over 5%.

Sectoral data shows robust additions from establishments in industries such as expert services, which alone made up 43.69% of April’s total net payroll — half of which came from manpower suppliers.

EPFO’s payroll data, released monthly since April 2018, draws from UAN-linked records of new joiners, exits, and re-entries, providing a dynamic view of employment patterns. As always, the figures remain provisional, subject to ongoing data updates.