Unemployment Rate Drops Amid Rising Workforce Participation: J&K Govt
Srinagar, Mar 15, KNT: The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir has declined from 6.7% in 2019-20 to 6.1% in 2023-24, the government announced on Saturday, attributing the improvement to various employment initiatives, including 9.58 lakh livelihood opportunities generated through different schemes.
Minister Javed Ahmad Dar, speaking in the Assembly on behalf of Employment Minister Surinder Choudhary, noted a rise in the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) to 64.3% and the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) to 60.4% in 2023-24, reflecting increased economic activity.
Citing the 2025 Economic Survey, Dar stated that J&K’s unemployment rate steadily declined over the years, reaching a low of 4.4% in 2022-23 before slightly rising to 6.1% in 2023-24. He emphasized that proactive policies have strengthened the labour market, sustaining economic growth and job creation.
Dar highlighted that 11,526 government job selections were made in the past two years, while the private sector provided employment to 45,688 youth. Additionally, under MGNREGA, 3.01 crore person-days of work were generated, benefitting 8.07 lakh households.
To further boost employment, the government launched ‘Mission Yuva’ to support five lakh young entrepreneurs, aiming to create 1.37 lakh enterprises and 4.25 lakh jobs over five years. In the past four years, 246 job fairs led to 4,893 placements, while thousands received skill development training.
“The government remains committed to fostering self-employment and skill development across J&K,” Dar added. [KNT]
