Key Highlights:

The India Employment Report 2024 presents several key findings and insights regarding the Indian labour market, youth employment, education, and skills. Here are some of the key points highlighted in the report:

    1. Labour Market Trends:
      • The report indicates improvements in some outcomes in the Indian labour market post-2019, such as the labour force participation rate and the unemployment rate, especially for women.
      • However, these improvements need to be interpreted carefully due to an increase in agricultural employment in rural areas.
      • The Employment Conditions Index applied across states of India shows a positive trend over the last decades, though it was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
    2. Demographic Dividend:
      • India is poised to take advantage of its demographic dividend, but the situation varies across the country.
      • Education levels have significantly improved and are crucial for accessing better job opportunities.
      • Educated youth face higher rates of unemployment, indicating a mismatch between aspirations and available jobs.
    3. Challenges for Youth:
      • A significant proportion of youths, particularly young women, are not in education, employment, or training.
      • Technological advancements and digitalization are reshaping the demand for skills, impacting young people in the labour market.
    4. Policy Recommendations:
      • The report suggests five key policy areas for action, including promoting job creation, improving employment quality, addressing labour market inequalities, strengthening skills and active labour market policies, and bridging knowledge deficits on labour market patterns and youth employment.
    5. Historical Context:
      • The India Employment Report 2024 is part of a series of publications by the Institute for Human Development, with the first report dating back to 2014 and focusing on Indian workers in the era of globalization.
      • The 2016 report emphasized the challenges and the importance of manufacturing-led growth for India’s labour force.

    These findings and insights provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Indian labour market, highlighting both improvements and persistent challenges that need to be addressed to enhance youth employment, education, and skills in the country.

AUTHOR

ILO and IHD, New Delhi

COPYRIGHT

© International Labour Organization 2024

PUBLICATION DATE

First published 2024

TAGS

ILO Skill India Mission
Unemployment rate Self-employment