Jammu, Feb 9: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Union Territory’s overall unemployment rate currently stands at 6.7 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 3.5 per cent.
The information was shared 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), the unemployment rate among persons aged 15 years and above in J&K has fluctuated over the past few years but has consistently remained above the national average.
The House was further informed that a baseline survey was conducted across the Union Territory by the Employment Department in collaboration with the UT Administration under Mission YUVA. The survey identified 4.73 lakh individuals in the 18–60 age group, of whom around 46.8 per cent reported that they were “not working but willing to work”, highlighting the scale of employment challenges, particularly among the youth.
Responding to queries on steps taken to tackle unemployment, the government said employment generation, especially for youth, remains a top priority. It clarified that the focus is not limited to short-term job creation but also on building sustainable livelihoods by encouraging young people to become job creators rather than job seekers.
In this regard, Mission YUVA was highlighted as a key initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship across Jammu and Kashmir. Since its launch, the mission has received around 70,000 applications on the YUVA platform, reflecting growing interest among youth in enterprise-led employment.
Of these, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for nearly 52,875 applicants have been prepared through Small Business Development Units (SBDUs). After scrutiny by banks, about 47,816 applications were examined, of which 16,141 cases have been sanctioned so far. The government said around 9,500 applications were rejected, mainly due to eligibility and credit-related issues, while the remaining cases are at various stages of processing.
The government further informed that sanctioned beneficiaries have been provided handholding support, training and mentoring. So far, more than 7,300 entrepreneurs have completed training, while several others are currently undergoing capacity-building programmes.
The Labour and Employment Department also shared year-wise details of beneficiaries covered under various self-employment and entrepreneurship schemes, including Mission YUVA, Mumkin, Tejaswini, the Spurring Entrepreneurship Scheme and the Women Entrepreneurship Programme, during the last two financial years.
The government reiterated that a comprehensive employment policy and roadmap titled “Mission YUVA: From Aspiration to Enterprise – Transforming Jammu & Kashmir’s Employment Landscape” has been formulated to reduce unemployment and strengthen youth participation in productive economic activities.
The reply was tabled in the House by the Minister in charge of the Labour and Employment Department, who said the mission-based approach aims to ensure inclusive growth and long-term employment generation across the Union Territory. (Agencies)
