Number of educated jobless youths rise 7 times in Assam in 2022: survey

The latest Economic Survey Assam has stated that nearly 10 lakh fresh educated youths have registered in employment exchanges in the state in 2022 compared to just 1.4 lakh in the previous year.

Terming it a huge challenge before the state, the Economic Survey, Assam for 2023-24 stated that the size of the educated job seekers is considerably high with new registration jumping by a whopping over seven times in just a single year.

"From the records of the live register of Employment Exchanges, the registered educated job seekers stood at 9,83,093 in 2022 as against 1,37,865 during 2021," it added.

The report, which was tabled in the Assam Assembly during the Budget Session this month, stressed that the number of educated job seekers has increased at all levels of education in 2022 over 2021.

It said that the overall number of educated job seekers stood at 18,05,441 as per registrations at Employment Exchanges in 2021 as against 17,46,671 during 2020, thereby showing an increase of 3.36 per cent.

The unemployment rate among the persons aged 15 years and above who were available for work but could not get work stood at 1.7 per cent in Assam during 2022-23 compared to 3.2 per cent in the entire country.

"In rural areas, the unemployment rate is 1.5 per cent whereas in urban areas, the unemployment rate is 6.1 per cent in Assam during 2022-23. The unemployment rate at all India level is 2.4 per cent in rural areas and 5.4 per cent in urban areas during the same period," the survey said.

Observing the burning problem of unemployment in the state, the Government of Assam has taken some positive initiative to decrease the burden, it noted.

The report highlighted that a process to engage 1,00,000 unemployed youths in government jobs in different departments has been going on.

"The state government has also started different employment oriented programme/schemes to engage more unemployed youths in full-time or part time and create opportunities for their self-employment," it added.