The Crossbill News Desk
The first district-level labour market estimates under the revamped Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) have highlighted wide variations in the employment and education status of young people across India, with a significant share of those aged 15-29 outside both work and formal education or training in hundreds of districts. The findings were released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Friday (September 18).
Nearly 250 districts recorded a NEET rate of more than 25% among those aged 15-29, with NEET referring to young people who are not in employment, education or training.
In nearly two-thirds of the districts in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and West Bengal, more than a quarter of the youth population falls into this category. Similar levels were recorded in around half the districts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Assam and Telangana, according to the findings reported by The Times of India.
The survey covered around 600 districts across major states and Union territories and is the first PLFS exercise specifically designed to generate district-level estimates. The sampling design was changed from January 2025, with districts made the basic stratum for most of the country.
The official data also show considerable variation between districts. Around 25 districts recorded NEET rates below 10%. Nabarangpur in Odisha reported the lowest rate at 4.1%, while Ernakulam in Kerala recorded a 9.6% NEET rate among the youth population. Coimbatore and Bengaluru (Urban) followed Ernakulam among the 100 most populous districts, with rates of 14.5% and 15%, respectively.
The NEET category does not refer only to unemployed people. It includes those outside both employment and education or training, including people engaged in unpaid domestic or care work, those who have stopped looking for jobs because suitable employment is unavailable, as well as some people preparing for examinations or engaged in leisure activities.
The gender gap is particularly pronounced. Nearly three-fourths of the districts recorded a NEET rate above 25% among young women, pointing to the role of unpaid household and care responsibilities in keeping many young women outside formal employment and education. The official district-level release, however, also shows that more than 75% of districts had overall youth NEET rates below 30%.
The latest findings add to earlier concerns about the number of young Indians outside work and formal education.
A NITI Aayog report, Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047, based on the 78th round of the National Sample Survey conducted in 2021, had estimated that around 8.7 crore people aged 15-29 were “not studying, working or receiving training.” The Union government had subsequently clarified that these people “cannot be crudely termed as unemployed.”
The issue has also featured in recent assessments of India's labour market. The State of Working India 2026 report by Azim Premji University had reported that nearly 40% of young people aged 15-25 were unemployed and noted that only about 7% of graduates secured permanent salaried employment within a year.
The district-level PLFS data provide a more granular picture of these trends, allowing differences between regions to be examined rather than relying only on national or state-level averages.
The government has said such district-level indicators are intended to support more targeted analysis and planning of employment, education and skill-development interventions.
Nearly 250 districts recorded a NEET rate of more than 25% among those aged 15-29, with NEET referring to young people who are not in employment, education or training.
In nearly two-thirds of the districts in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and West Bengal, more than a quarter of the youth population falls into this category. Similar levels were recorded in around half the districts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Assam and Telangana, according to the findings reported by The Times of India.
The survey covered around 600 districts across major states and Union territories and is the first PLFS exercise specifically designed to generate district-level estimates. The sampling design was changed from January 2025, with districts made the basic stratum for most of the country.
The official data also show considerable variation between districts. Around 25 districts recorded NEET rates below 10%. Nabarangpur in Odisha reported the lowest rate at 4.1%, while Ernakulam in Kerala recorded a 9.6% NEET rate among the youth population. Coimbatore and Bengaluru (Urban) followed Ernakulam among the 100 most populous districts, with rates of 14.5% and 15%, respectively.
The NEET category does not refer only to unemployed people. It includes those outside both employment and education or training, including people engaged in unpaid domestic or care work, those who have stopped looking for jobs because suitable employment is unavailable, as well as some people preparing for examinations or engaged in leisure activities.
The gender gap is particularly pronounced. Nearly three-fourths of the districts recorded a NEET rate above 25% among young women, pointing to the role of unpaid household and care responsibilities in keeping many young women outside formal employment and education. The official district-level release, however, also shows that more than 75% of districts had overall youth NEET rates below 30%.
The latest findings add to earlier concerns about the number of young Indians outside work and formal education.
A NITI Aayog report, Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047, based on the 78th round of the National Sample Survey conducted in 2021, had estimated that around 8.7 crore people aged 15-29 were “not studying, working or receiving training.” The Union government had subsequently clarified that these people “cannot be crudely termed as unemployed.”
The issue has also featured in recent assessments of India's labour market. The State of Working India 2026 report by Azim Premji University had reported that nearly 40% of young people aged 15-25 were unemployed and noted that only about 7% of graduates secured permanent salaried employment within a year.
The district-level PLFS data provide a more granular picture of these trends, allowing differences between regions to be examined rather than relying only on national or state-level averages.
The government has said such district-level indicators are intended to support more targeted analysis and planning of employment, education and skill-development interventions.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment