13.3% unemployment rate in 15-29 age group in 2012-13: Survey

The unemployment rate in the country during 2012-13 was estimated to be 13.3 per cent for the age group 15-29, a government report has revealed.
The Labour Ministry report on 'Youth employment- unemployment scenario, 2012-13 further revealed unemployment rate among the persons who cannot read and write any language or are considered illiterate was the lowest with 3.7 per cent without work in the 15-29 age group.
It observed that people in employment were "actually overqualified for the job they are doing and therefore society is losing their valuable skills and forfeiting stronger productivity growth that would have been achieved".

The report was prepared by the Labour Bureau in Chandigarh under the Ministry after conducting a survey between October, 2012 and May, 2013 in all states.
Based on the survey, the report said that "unemployment rate at All India level was 133 persons out of 1000 persons for the age group 15-29 years, which was an estimated 13.3."
It said one out of every three persons in the age group 15 to 29 years who have completed at least their graduation has been found to be unemployed.

In rural areas, the unemployment rate for graduates and above for the age group 15-29 years was estimated to be at 36.6 per cent. In urban areas, the same was 26.5 per cent.

Majority of persons employed under the age group 15-29 years were either self-employed or casual workers.
In all, 1,33,354 households were covered - 82,624 in rural areas and 50,730 in the urban sector.
Based on the survey, the labour force participation rate was estimated to be 31.2, 47.3 and 39.5 per cent, respectively, among age groups 15-24, 18-29 and 15-29 years.
Talking especially about the northern region, the report said that the labour force participation rate in Haryana was estimated to be 35.3 per cent followed by 36.2 per cent in Punjab, 36.3 per cent in the Union Territory of Chandigarh and 45.1 per cent in Himachal Pradesh for the age group 15-29 years.