Employment

India's unemployment rate hit 8-year low in 2025, shows NSO data

But urban female joblessness rose sharply in several states

The long-term ROI of an MBA

In this session of Gurugyaan, we hear from Nitish Jain, President of S P Jain School of Global Management.

Apprenticeship applications at six-year low in 2025 despite vacancies

Applications under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme fell to a six-year low in 2025, exposing a widening gap between vacancies and candidate participation

Over 7 million employed under Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the employment-linked incentive scheme has generated nearly 7 million jobs and expanded social security coverage for first-time workers

India's GenAI boom hits talent wall with 83% skills gap: Quess Corp

Demand shifts from AI experimentation to deployment, creating acute shortages in GenAI, governance, MLOps and other specialist roles

Best of BS Opinion: When access becomes power

From AI access and workforce disruption to economic reform and market opportunities, this edition explores how nations and industries navigate narrowing gateways

NITI proposes state-led migration systems to tap global labour demand

The NITI Aayog paper recommends state-run recruitment agencies, foreign-language training and digital dashboards to connect skilled workers with overseas jobs

Haryana leads in informal jobs growth; Gujarat sees contraction

Haryana emerged as a leader in employment, scale, and productivity in the informal economy, while Gujarat saw declines across all three indicators

US jobless claims rise slightly, labour market remains resilient

The labor market has been stuck in what economists call a "low-hire, low-fire" state which they blamed on uncertainty stemming from Trump's import tariffs and mass deportations

Gauging disruption: AI studies highlight labour-market inequality

If entry-level roles shrink because of AI, the pathway for skill accumulation itself may be disrupted

Students least confident on job readiness as skills gap widens: NIIT

NIIT report shows students score lowest on job readiness compared with professionals, highlighting widening gap between education and industry expectations

More graduates but fewer jobs: India's youth faces a harsh reality

Between 2004 and 2023, 5 million graduates were added annually, but only 2.8 million found jobs; just 7% of unemployed graduates secure permanent salaried roles within a year

Unincorporated sector establishments increased 8% last year, shows survey

India's unincorporated sector saw nearly 8% growth in establishments and over 6% rise in employment in 2025, with GVA expanding 10.87%, reflecting steady expansion

High growth has not translated into meaningful job creation: Jayati Ghosh

India's economic growth has not translated into sufficient job creation, with weak formal employment and low female participation, says economist Jayati Ghosh

Supply-side policies not enough to improve job outcomes: ILO expert

ILO's Radhicka Kapoor says stronger labour demand and structural reforms are needed to translate gains in education and welfare access into better employment outcomes

US small business is disma despite GDP growth under Trump administration

Rising bankruptcies and weak job growth signal mounting pressure on small firms

Nearly 73% employers plan to hire freshers in first half of 2026: Report

Around 73 per cent of employers interviewed intend to hire freshers during January-June 2026, with recruitment decisions mainly driven by internships and real-world project experience rather than academic credentials alone, a report said on Wednesday. Nearly 3 in 4 employers (73 per cent) intend to hire freshers during January-June this year, marking a 3 per cent increase over the previous half-year, according to TeamLease EdTech Career Outlook Report HY1 2026. TeamLease Edtech Career Outlook Report HY1, January-June 2026, is based on inputs from 1,051 employers surveyed between November 2025 and January 2026 across industries and cities in India. The report further revealed that sectoral demand is led by retail (91 per cent), followed by e-commerce and technology start-ups (90 per cent), and manufacturing (85 per cent). In retail, the most in-demand roles include Dark Store Assistant and Inventory Management Assistant while e-commerce and technology start-ups are hiring for Digita

Modernising our society through education, skills and inter-caste marriages

Persistent caste inequality, limited inter-caste mobility and unequal access to quality education and jobs continue to slow India's social modernisation despite decades of economic growth

How to generate employment for the world's 1.2 billion new workers

Over the next 10 to 15 years, 1.2 billion young people in developing countries will come of working age - a scale the world has never seen

Share of flexi workers rose to 70% from 20% in 5 years, says report

The share of flexi workers in India's workforce rose sharply to 70 per cent in 2025 from 20 per cent in 2020, while the proportion of permanent workers declined, an ISF report said