Ministry of Labour & Employment: Assistance to Unemployed Individuals

Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on employment and unemployment is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. As per the results of PLFS, the unemployment rate for persons of 15 years and above on the usual status (principal status + subsidiary status) basis in the country to the extent available during 2018-19 was 5.8%.

The Government is providing fiscal stimulus of more than rupees twenty-seven lakh crore as part of the Aatmanirbhar financial Package. Aatmanirbhar Bharat package comprises of various long term schemes/programmes/ policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojna (ABRY) Scheme has been launched with effect from 1st October 2020 to incentivize the creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment.

This scheme reduces the financial burden of employers and encourages them to hire more workers. Under ABRY, the Government of India is providing for a period of two years both the employees’ share (12% of wages) and employer’s share (12% of wages) of contribution payable or only the employees’ share, depending on employment strength of the EPFO registered establishments.

As on 30th June 2021, a total benefit of around Rs.950 crores has been given through 82,251 establishments covering more than 22 lakh beneficiaries.

Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana(PMGKY), the Government of India has contributed both 12% employer’s share and 12% employee’s share under Employees Provident Fund(EPF), totalling 24% of the wage for the wage month from March to August 2020 for the establishments having up to 100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs.15000/-.

Under the PMGKY scheme Rs2567.66 crore was credited in EPF accounts of 38.82 lakhs eligible employees and helped in providing employment in EPFO registered establishments during the past Covid pandemic.

The government is implementing Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) in the country since 2016 with the objective to incentivise employers for the creation of new employment with social security benefits. Under the scheme, the Government of India is paying the Employer’s full contribution i.e. 12% towards Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) both (as admissible from time to time) for a period of three years to the new employees through Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

The terminal date for registration of beneficiaries through establishment was 31st March 2019. The beneficiaries registered up to 31st March, 2019 will continue to receive the benefit for 3 years from the date of registration under the scheme. Benefit has been provided to 1.21 crore beneficiaries through 1.53 lakh establishments. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated by the Government inter alia, for facilitating self-employment.

Under PMMY collateral-free loans up to Rs. 10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to set up or expand their business activities.

The government of India has launched the PM- SVANidhi Scheme to facilitate collateral-free working capital loans up to Rs.10,000/- of one-year tenure, to approximately, 50 lakh street vendors, to resume their businesses in the past Covid pandemic.

Employment generation is a priority of the Government. Besides the above, Government has taken various steps for generating employment in the country through other schemes like Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt.

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). This information was given by Union Minister for Labour & Employment Shri Bhupender Yadav in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.