The data on Employment and Unemployment is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) which is conducted by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18. The survey period is July to June every year.
As per the latest available Annual PLFS Reports, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above during the last three years are as follows:
Years | WPR (in %) |
2020-21 | 52.6 |
2021-22 | 52.9 |
2022-23 | 56.0 |
Source: PLFS, MoSPI
The data indicates that the worker population ratio, indicating employment, has an increasing trend over the years.
The Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) is conducted by Labour Bureau which aims to assess the employment situation in respect of selected nine sectors of non-farm economy of India over successive quarters. Selected nine sectors are Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transport, Education, Health, Accommodation & Restaurants, Information Technology (IT)/ Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Financial Services. As per the fourth round of QES (January-March, 2022), the estimated total employment in the nine selected sectors was 3.18 crore as compared to 2.37 crore in the sixth Economic Census (2013-14).
As per the fourth round of QES (January-March, 2022), the estimated employment in the Information Technology (IT)/ Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector has increased to 38.31 lakhs as compared to 20.71 lakh during first round of QES (April-June, 2021), which indicates the increase in employment in IT/BPO sector.
The Government considers Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be kinetic enabler for the growth of our digital economy, investments and jobs. The Government has taken various initiatives to expand AI ecosystem and connect the AI opportunities to the youth of the country.
The Government has initiated ‘Future Skills PRIME’ aims for Reskilling/Up-skilling of IT Manpower for Employability in 10 new/emerging technologies. These include AI, Blockchain, Robotics, Big Data & Analytics, IoT, Virtual Reality, Cyber security, Cloud Computing, 3D Printing and Web 3.0.
The Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme aims to enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors including AI and Emerging Technologies.
The Government has launched Responsible AI for Youth 2022, on July 30, 2022. The Programme was designed to reach out to students from Government schools on pan India basis and provide them with an opportunity to become part of the skilled workforce in an inclusive manner.
The Government has launched ‘YUVAi: Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI’- A National Programme for School Students with the objective of enabling school students from classes 8th to 12th with AI tech and social skills in an inclusive manner. The programme will provide a platform for youth to learn and apply AI skills in 8 thematic areas- Krishi, Aarogya, Shiksha, Paryavaran, Parivahan, Grameen Vikas, Smart Cities and Vidhi aur Nyaay.
National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 recognises the role and importance of curricular and pedagogical initiatives, including the introduction of contemporary subjects such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)to develop such skills in students at all levels. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had introduced ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in its affiliated schools in the year 2019.
The Government is implementing a programme for skilling of rural youth for entrepreneurship development through Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs).
Further, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to enhance the employability of youth.
Besides these initiatives, various flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Start-up India, Stand-up India, Digital India, Housing for All etc. are also oriented towards generating employment opportunities.
All these initiatives are expected to collectively generate employment in the medium to long term through multiplier-effects.
NITI Aayog had released the ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ (NSAI). NITI Aayog has decided to focus on five sectors that are envisioned to benefit the most from AI in solving societal needs: a) Healthcare: increased access and affordability of quality healthcare, b) Agriculture: enhanced farmers’ income, increased farm productivity and reduction of wastage, c) Education: improved access and quality of education, d) Smart Cities and Infrastructure: efficient and connectivity for the burgeoning urban population, and e) Smart Mobility and Transportation: smarter and safer modes of transportation and better traffic and congestion problems.
