CHANDIGARH: The job scenario in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab presents a grim picture for the youth, with both states facing high unemployment compared to the national average, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for the April–June 2026 quarter, released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
The unemployment rate among persons aged between 15 and 29 years in Himachal Pradesh stood at 24.1 per cent during the April–June quarter, which was the fourth highest in the country after Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir. In comparison, during the previous quarter, the unemployment rate among this age group was 26.7 per cent in the hill state, thus witnessing a decline.
In Punjab, however, unemployment rose during the April–June quarter compared with January–March, when it stood at 20.2 per cent. It increased to 22.3 per cent in the latest quarter. At the all-India level, it stood at 15.9 per cent during this quarter, compared with 15 per cent in the previous quarter.
The youth unemployment rate in Himachal Pradesh was 8.2 percentage points higher than the national average, while in Punjab it was 6.4 percentage points higher. The neighbouring state of Haryana recorded a youth unemployment rate of 11.8 per cent, which was 4.1 percentage points below the all-India figure.
As far as women are concerned, the picture is again grim. In Himachal Pradesh, among those aged 15–29 years across rural and urban areas, the figure stood at 34.4 per cent, while in Punjab it was 31.4 per cent. In Haryana, the figure stood at 15.6 per cent for young women and 11.2 per cent for men in the same age group. The national figures stood at 19.6 per cent for young women and 14.5 per cent for young men.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in the 15–29 age group, which measures the proportion of the population that is either employed or unemployed and available for work, stood at 47.6 per cent in Punjab, 45.8 per cent in Himachal Pradesh and 36 per cent in Haryana, compared with 40.7 per cent at the national level.
Among those aged 15 years and above, the unemployment rate stood at 8.5 per cent in Punjab, 6.3 per cent in Himachal Pradesh and 4.8 per cent in Haryana, while the all-India rate was 5.4 per cent.
In this category, Punjab recorded an unemployment rate of 7.9 per cent for men and 10.3 per cent for women, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 6.4 per cent for men and 6.1 per cent for women. In Haryana, the figures were 5 per cent for men and 3.9 per cent for women. Meanwhile, the national average was 5.3 per cent for men and 5.7 per cent for women.
There is a sharp difference in the economic structures of all three states in terms of sectoral distribution. In Himachal Pradesh, 51.5 per cent of workers were engaged in agriculture, the highest proportion in the region, while 31.6 per cent were in services and 16.9 per cent in the secondary sector, including manufacturing, utilities and construction.
In Punjab, 45.6 per cent of workers were engaged in services, 33.9 per cent in industry and 20.4 per cent in agriculture. In Haryana, 39 per cent were employed in services, 37.5 per cent in industry and 23.5 per cent in agriculture.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government has officially stated that it has provided over 68,000 transparent, merit-based government jobs during its tenure. Recently, during the state Assembly's monsoon session, Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training, and Industries and Commerce Minister Aman Arora said that the Bhagwant Mann-led government had provided more than 68,000 government jobs, attracted investments worth Rs 1.83 lakh crore and facilitated the creation of over 6.36 lakh private-sector jobs during its four-and-a-half-year tenure.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government recently submitted an official affidavit to the Himachal Pradesh High Court revealing that 1,07,466 government posts are currently vacant across various state departments. The disclosure came during a High Court hearing concerning outsourcing and job contract tenders in state services.
