Jammu

The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir has remained above the national average for several years, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary told the Legislative Assembly on Monday, citing data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).

In a written response to a question raised by legislator Mubarak Gul, Choudhary said the overall unemployment rate in the Union Territory currently stands at 6.7 per cent, compared to the national average of 3.5 per cent.

Quoting PLFS data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the deputy chief minister, who also holds the Labour and Employment portfolio, said unemployment among persons aged 15 years and above in J&K has consistently exceeded the all-India figures over the past six years.

In 2024–25, the unemployment rate in the UT was recorded at 6.7 per cent against the national average of 3.5 per cent. The rate stood at 6.1 per cent in 2023–24 compared to India’s 3.2 per cent, while in 2022–23 it was 4.4 per cent against the national figure of 3.2 per cent. In 2021–22, unemployment in J&K was estimated at 5.2 per cent compared to 4.1 per cent nationally, while in 2020–21 it was 5.9 per cent against India’s 4.2 per cent. In 2019–20, the UT recorded an unemployment rate of 6.7 per cent, higher than the national average of 4.8 per cent, he said.

Referring to a baseline survey conducted in January last year under Mission YUVA, Choudhary said 4.73 lakh individuals in the 18–50 age group, out of a total surveyed population of 64.8 lakh, reported that they were not working but willing to work.

The survey covered 70,428 postgraduates, 98,466 graduates, 1.26 lakh higher secondary pass candidates, 95,914 secondary-level pass-outs and 44,908 middle pass candidates. It also included 24,594 illiterate persons and 10,994 individuals educated up to the primary level, he added.

Choudhary said tackling unemployment, particularly among youth, remains a top priority for the National Conference-led government. He said the government’s approach focuses on long-term livelihood creation through entrepreneurship, skill development and institutional reforms, rather than short-term employment measures.

Highlighting Mission YUVA as a key initiative, he said more than 1.71 lakh youth have registered on the platform since its launch, resulting in nearly 70,000 formal enterprise applications. Detailed Project Reports have been prepared for about 52,875 applicants through Small Business Development Units, while 47,816 proposals have been approved at the district level.

So far, 16,141 applications have completed the entire process, leading to bank sanctions of nearly Rs 1,000 crore, with over Rs 700 crore already disbursed. He said thousands of enterprises have been established, supported by structured training programmes, with 7,339 entrepreneurs having completed training and another 5,000 currently undergoing training.

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Apart from Mission YUVA, schemes such as Mumkin and Tejaswani have also benefited hundreds of individuals, he said, adding that J&K is steadily moving towards entrepreneurship-led employment generation and inclusive economic growth.