From 14.8 per cent in December, the unemployment rate in Jammu Kashmir has shown a spike of over 7 per cent for the month of January, which is the highest in states and UTs across India.
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), monitoring monthly unemployment in India, has pegged Jammu Kashmir’s employment rate at 21.8 percent in the month of January.
The monthly figures of the unemployment rate maintained by CMIE since 2016 show that in August 2022, unemployment reached the highest over the years when it jumped to 32.8 per cent. In the month of December, unemployment went down to 14.8 per cent against the 22.4 per cent unemployment rate in November.
Pertinently, the states of Uttar Pradesh (4.2), Bihar (11.9), and Haryana (21.7) are ahead of Jammu Kashmir.
Recently, the Jammu Kashmir National Conference targeted the J-K admin over the growing unemployment stating Jammu Kashmir is beset with unemployment, development deficit and administrative apathy.
“Unemployment, development deficit, and administrative apathy have become the bywords of J&K. Today’s J&K is defined by anxiety, fear, and insecurity and there is no end to it,” JKNC’s spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said.
The Government, however, maintains that jobs are on all time high in the region and employment opportunities are being created in bulk for the local youth.
According to officials, more than 15,000 vacancies have been filled up in government departments and thousands of young men and women have been provided employment through various self-employment schemes in ‘Naya Jammu and Kashmir’ during the past three years.
Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday said 29,806 people were recruited by the administration from 2019 onwards and that 5.2 lakh employment were estimated to have been created through self-employment schemes.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply, saying “the government of Jammu Kashmir has carried out recruitment in the public sector from 2019 onwards totalling 29,806”.
However, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) in its report said that at least 5000 salesmen in the tourism and mobile services business that includes some 2000 shops in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk, and its adjoining markets were not paid salaries for the months of August, September, and October while 4.96 lakh people lost their jobs.
With the rising rate of unemployment rate in Jammu Kashmir, several scholars have taken to alternative forms of employment. Recently The Kashmiriyat reported that two scholars, one Ph.D., and one M. Phil had opened a tea stall to earn their livelihood.
In 2021, the Directorate of Employment witnessed three lakh registrations by postgraduates and PhD degree holders for jobs. In the same year, Jammu Kashmir Service Selection Board advertised 8000 class IV posts, and more than 5.4 lakh aspirants applied for these posts.