Unemployment rate in Haryana over 6%, CM Khattar tells state Assembly

Haryana's unemployment rate is over just six per cent, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar informed the state Assembly on Tuesday and slammed the Congress for quoting unreliable figures from a body to target his government.

Congress MLA Chiranjeev Rao, during Question Hour, had asked if the unemployment rate has increased in Haryana during the past eight years and, if so, the steps taken by the government to bring it down.

Referring to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) figures tabled in the House as part of the reply to his question, the Congress MLA from Rewari said, "PLFS data has been quoted and if we go by that, according to this unemployment rate in Haryana is 9.3 per cent".

But if we take CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy) data, the unemployment rate in Haryana is 29.4 per cent," he said.

However, Khattar, while giving the latest government figures, said in February 2023, the unemployment rate in the state stood at 6.46 per cent.

The opposition parties often attack the BJP-JJP government in the state over the "high unemployment rate".

Rao said the "chief minister had recently given a statement that if CMIE does not stop giving wrong' data, then action will be taken against them. If they feel data is not authentic, action should be taken then".

The MLA also said recently for six posts of a clerk in Panipat, nearly 10,000 people applied, many of whom were highly qualified.

When this is the situation that even for clerical posts, such highly qualified youths are applying, it tells about the unemployment situation in the state," he said.

Quoting CMIE figures, Rao said, "Haryana has come to be known as number one in the country in unemployment".

In his reply, Chief Minister Khattar said in December 2014, the unemployment rate was 7.86 per cent and in February 2023, it stood at 6.46 per cent.

In 2009-10, it was 8.7 per cent. This shows the unemployment rate is coming down, Khattar said.

He told opposition Congress members that CMIE data, which they keep quoting for unemployment figures, cannot be relied upon.

"As far as CMIE goes, their data frequently changes. I had said this earlier that in one of the months of 2017, CMIE had put the unemployment rate at 2 something (in Haryana). Now, sometimes, they say this rate is 34 per cent, sometimes 24 per cent, sometimes difference of 10 percentage points is there within one month.

Their data sample is small, 5,000 is data sample for entire state," the chief minister said.

Khattar said the state's employable population is 1.86 crore "and out of this they take sample of 5,000, then percentage cannot be reliable".

He further said from 1999 to 2005, 15,000 government jobs were given, and from 2005 to 2014, 86,000 jobs were given.

During the past eight years (of the BJP govt), over one lakh government jobs have been given, he added.

Meanwhile, in the written reply to a question raised by the Congress member, it was mentioned that reliable and authentic data source of employment in the country and all states and UTs is the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation, government of India.

According to annual PLFS report for 2021-22, unemployment rate in Haryana was 9.3 percent, in 2020-21, it was 6.6 percent, in 2019-20, 6.7 percent, in 2018-19, 9.8 percent and in 2017-18, it was 8.8 percent.

The reply further mentioned that regulatory framework has been simplified and private sector has been encouraged to generate employment. Due to these efforts, over 32 lakh jobs have been generated from 2015 onwards, it added.

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