Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 9: The unemployment rate in J&K stands at 6.7 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 3.5 per cent, the Government informed the Legislative Assembly today
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In a written reply to questions raised by MLA Mubarik Gul, the Government said unemployment levels in the Union Territory have fluctuated over the past few years.
According to data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, J&K’s unemployment rate stood at 6.1 per cent in 2023-24, 4.4 per cent in 2022-23, 5.2 per cent in 2021-22, 5.9 per cent in 2020-21, and 6.7 per cent in 2019-20.
The Government further revealed that an extensive survey conducted in January 2025 by the Employment Department, in collaboration with district administrations under Mission YUVA, found that 4.73 lakh individuals in the 18-60 age group reported being “not working but willing to work” out of a total surveyed population of 64.8 lakh.
Detailing steps taken to curb unemployment, particularly among youth, the Government said Mission YUVA has emerged as a key initiative focused on entrepreneurship promotion, skill development, recruitment drives, and self-employment generation.
Since its launch, over 1.71 lakh youth have registered on the Mission YUVA platform, resulting in nearly 70,000 formal enterprise applications.
Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been prepared for about 52,875 candidates, while 47,816 applications were approved at the district level.
So far, 16,141 cases have completed the full approval cycle, leading to bank sanctions of nearly Rs 1,000 crore, with over Rs 700 crore already disbursed.
Additionally, 7,339 entrepreneurs have completed training, and around 5,000 are currently undergoing training.
The Government said around 15,000 more applications are at an advanced stage and are expected to be sanctioned by March 31, 2026, while another 22,000 cases are likely to be cleared in the next three to four months.
The introduction of the Nano Enterprise model, aimed at low-risk investments of Rs 5-6 lakh, has further encouraged youth to take up entrepreneurship, it added.
The Government said a comprehensive policy roadmap has been formulated to generate employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth, with Mission YUVA at its core.
Under various schemes, the Government said, thousands of beneficiaries have been covered during 2023-24 and 2024-25, with substantial funds allocated to initiatives such as Mumkin, Tejaswani, Spurring Entrepreneurship Innovative Scheme, Women Entrepreneurship Programme, and entrepreneurship training.
It said Mission YUVA has received applications from 95 per cent of panchayats, reflecting its wide acceptance.
Special emphasis has been laid on first-generation entrepreneurs, women, and youth from remote and border areas, the Government said.
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