‘Unemployment rate crosses 32 % in J&K’
The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir has risen sharply to over 32 percent for the month of August. In July the unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir was at 20.2 percent. According to CMIE among all states, and Union Territories, UT of J&K has the second-highest unemployment rate, Haryana with a 37.3 percent unemployment rate is ahead of J&K. Haryana, J&K and Rajasthan have the highest levels of unemployment rate — each with over 30% of the unemployment rate.
As per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) figures, J&K has a 32.8 percent unemployment rate, which is way higher than the national level unemployment rate of 8.3 percent recorded across India. The unemployment rates are produced by CMIE using its Consumer Pyramids Household Survey machinery. CMIE has pegged India’s unemployment rate at 8.3 percent which means J&K has a much higher unemployment rate than the national average.
Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya registered the least unemployment rate at 0.4 per cent and 2 per cent in August 2022.
The rising unemployment rate in J&K continues to be a lingering problem for the youth who are forced to run after government jobs in absence of a strong private sector in J&K. Though the government claims that outside investments will come to UT, it is yet to have any impact on the ground.
In January, J&K’s Chief Secretary had stated that the unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir has decreased to 15 percent in December 2021, and impressed upon the Department to further improve employment avenues in the Union territory.
As per the officials, the newly announced Rs.28,400 crore Industrial Development Scheme, the Jammu and Kashmir government is aiming to generate employment opportunities for over 5 lakh youth in the coming years. The government has projected to attract an investment of over Rs.20,000 crore through the industrial development scheme which as per the officials is believed to improve the job creation opportunities in J&K.
Meanwhile Senior Congress leader Yogesh Sawhney on Thursday attacked the Modi Government for the “massive surge in unemployment rates in Jammu and Kashmir”. J&K has recorded an unprecedented 32.8 per cent unemployment rate in August 2022 which has been the highest in a decade as per Consumer Pyramids Household Survey data. Stating that unemployment is at peak in J&K, Sawhney accused the BJP of plunging the UT into an era of darkness as employment opportunities continue to decline for the youth. Couple this with the numerous recruitment scams including the SI recruitment scam, the FAA recruitment scam, the Jal Shakti department scam to name a few, the BJP government has launched a disturbing attack on the future of the youth, he said.
The former Minister said that the extreme level of unemployment can be judged from the huge number of applications that come for very less vacancies whenever released by the government, thousands of overqualified candidates will apply for jobs that require minimal qualifications, such is the situation of employment currently.
