The International Labor Organization (ILO) has released the 'India Employment Report 2024' in collaboration with the Institute of Human Development (IHD). According to this, if 100 people are unemployed in India, then 83 of them are youth. Most of these youth are educated.
The number of educated unemployed has doubled
According to the ILO report, the number of educated unemployed among the total unemployed youth in the country has also doubled as compared to 2000. In 2000, the number of educated unemployed youth was 35.2% of the total youth unemployed. In 2022, it has increased to 65.7%. It includes only those educated youth who have completed their studies up to at least 10th standard.
Has the salary increased or decreased?
A lot has been told about salary in the ILO report. According to the report, the salary of people in the country has mostly remained the same, or it has decreased. A negative trend has been seen in the salary of regular workers and self-employed persons after the year 2019. Not only this, workers without skills have not even got the minimum wage in the year 2022.
Technology related jobs are threatening jobs. Technology-related changes have also affected the demand for skills and types of jobs. According to the report, youth have a better representation in high and medium-skilled jobs. However, job insecurity in these sectors still remains a cause of concern.
Lack of skills among youth
The report on lack of skills among youth highlights the lack of basic digital literacy among India's youth, which is hindering their employability. 90% of Indian youth are unable to apply math formulas in spreadsheets. 60% of youth cannot copy and paste files. 75% of youth are unable to send an email with an attachment.
The report also talks about the growing gender gap in the labor market with a low rate of female labor force participation. According to the report, young women, especially those with higher secondary pass, face a lot of challenges in getting employment.
Women more affected
The data show that women accounted for 76.7% of the educated unemployed youth, while men accounted for 62.2%. Unemployment was also higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The ILO said the female labour force participation rate in India is one of the lowest in the world, at around 25%.
"This suggests that the unemployment problem in India has become increasingly concentrated among young people, particularly the educated ones in urban areas," the report said.
The researchers also found that youth employment and underemployment saw a rise from 2000 to 2019, but declined during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ILO said digital platforms have blurred the distinction between employees and self-employed individuals, creating new challenges for workers' well-being and working conditions.