JAMMU, Feb 9: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Union Territory’s unemployment rate stands at 6.7 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 3.5 per cent.
In a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Mubarak Gul, the government said that as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), unemployment among persons aged 15 years and above in J&K has fluctuated over recent years but has consistently remained above the national level.
The House was also informed that a baseline survey conducted by the Employment Department in collaboration with the UT Administration under Mission YUVA identified 4.73 lakh individuals in the 18–60 age group. Of these, nearly 46.8 per cent reported that they were “not working but willing to work,” underlining the scale of employment challenges, particularly among youth.
Replying to queries on measures to tackle unemployment, the government said employment generation, especially for youth, remains a top priority. It stressed that the focus is on creating sustainable livelihoods by encouraging young people to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Mission YUVA was highlighted as a key initiative to promote entrepreneurship across the Union Territory. Since its launch, around 70,000 applications have been received on the YUVA platform. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for nearly 52,875 applicants have been prepared through Small Business Development Units.
The government said banks have scrutinised about 47,816 applications, of which 16,141 cases have been sanctioned. Around 9,500 applications were rejected mainly due to eligibility and credit-related issues, while the remaining cases are at various stages of processing.
It was further informed that sanctioned beneficiaries are being provided training, mentoring and handholding support. More than 7,300 entrepreneurs have completed training so far, while others are undergoing capacity-building programmes.
The Labour and Employment Department also shared year-wise details of beneficiaries covered under self-employment and entrepreneurship schemes, including Mission YUVA, Mumkin, Tejaswini, Spurring Entrepreneurship Scheme and the Women Entrepreneurship Programme, over the past two financial years.
The reply, tabled by the Minister In-charge of the Labour and Employment Department, said a comprehensive employment roadmap titled “Mission YUVA: From Aspiration to Enterprise – Transforming Jammu & Kashmir’s Employment Landscape” has been formulated to ensure inclusive growth and long-term employment generation across the Union Territory. (Agencies)
