Avinash Azad
The latest figures released in the ongoing J&K Assembly Budget Session have once again highlighted the grim unemployment scenario in the Union Territory, exposing the government’s failure in tackling the crisis despite grand claims of employment generation.
During the session, MLA Zadibal, Srinagar, Tanvir Sadiq, raised a crucial question about the present unemployment rate in J&K. The government responded that the unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and above stood at 6.1 percent in 2023-24, citing data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). However, a more telling figure was also revealed—370,811 unemployed youth have voluntarily registered on the employment portal as of January 2025, painting a stark picture of the job market.
Self-Employment: A Mere Statistical Illusion?
In response to queries about employment creation measures, the government boasted of generating 9.58 lakh self-employment livelihood opportunities through various schemes such as Mumkin, Tejaswani, Mission Youth, and PMEGP since 2021-22. However, year-wise breakdowns show a declining trend, with 299,266 opportunities in 2021-22, dropping to 135,165 in the current financial year until January 2025.
The government also mentioned generating 3.01 crore person-days under MGNREGA in 2024-25, providing employment to 8.07 lakh households, but failed to address the growing concerns over the quality, stability, and income security of these jobs.
Formal and Informal Sectors Left in Lurch
While the government claims to extend support to both formal and informal sectors for sustainable job generation, the ground reality is different. Key initiatives like Mission Yuva, aiming to create 1.35 lakh entrepreneurship units and provide 4.5 lakh employment opportunities, remain largely on paper. The government’s vague assurances of enhancing entrepreneurial capacity and creating stronger market presence lack concrete implementation plans.
Similarly, skill development programs meant to build entrepreneurial capacity have largely failed to translate into real job creation. The employment department’s regular job fairs and training programs are seen as superficial solutions, unable to bridge the widening gap between job seekers and actual employment opportunities.
Government’s Hollow Promises vs. Ground Reality
The response in the Assembly has left many skeptical, as the government conveniently dodges accountability by focusing on vague policies rather than real-world impact. The absence of major recruitment drives, coupled with an over-reliance on temporary self-employment models, has done little to mitigate J&K’s unemployment crisis. With thousands of youth still waiting for stable job opportunities, the promises of industrial development, startup support, and employment generation sound increasingly hollow. J&K’s unemployed youth continue to struggle while the bureaucracy remains engaged in empty rhetoric. Without immediate, targeted interventions, the employment crisis is set to deepen, further exacerbating economic distress in the region.
