The unemployment rate dropped by 0.1% between 2020-21 and 2021-22 from 4.2% to 4.1%, the Centre told Parliament on Monday citing data from the statistics and programme implementation ministry’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
It said that Sikkim (57.0%) had the highest worker-population ratio in 2021-22 followed by Himachal Pradesh (55.8%) and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (51.6%) and Daman & Diu (51.6%) while Bihar had the lowest (25.6%) followed by Lakshadweep and Manipur with 29.1% and 29.8% respectively.
According to the PLFS data, Bihar saw a sharp increase in the unemployment rate, with the state recording 5.9% between 2021-22, compared to 4.6% between 2020-21.
A major reason behind the high unemployment rate is attributed to the lack of industries within the state. As per the Economic Survey of the state, agriculture and allied sectors continue to have a crucial space in Bihar’s economy.
Lack of employment opportunities had pushed Bihar migrants to leave their native state and relocate to more industrialised states, which had an adverse effect on the unemployment rate. Bihar has had the highest unemployment rate for the last two years.
Next to Bihar, Lakshadweep had the highest unemployment rate. The Union territory had 29.1% unemployment rate between 2021-22, which is, however, 0.6% lower than that of the 2020-21 unemployment rate (29.7%).
Sikkim, which has had a turbulent history of unemployment, sprang a surprise by registering a massive growth in job creation in the past year.