According to a government survey, the unemployment rate for graduates aged 15 years and above has decreased to 13.4 per cent in 2022-23, down from 14.9 per cent in the previous year.

The time frame in question spans from July 2022 to June 2023.

As per the most recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) carried out by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Chandigarh recorded the lowest unemployment rate among graduates aged 15 and above, at 5.6 per cent during 2022-23.

Chandigarh was closely followed by Delhi, which had an unemployment rate of 5.7 per cent.

The statistics revealed that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had the highest unemployment rate, at 33 per cent. The Islands were closely followed by Ladakh, with an unemployment rate of 26.5 per cent, and Andhra Pradesh, at 24 per cent.

In the bigger states, Rajasthan had a high unemployment rate of 23.1 per cent, while Odisha’s unemployment rate stood at 21.9 per cent.

The unemployment rate is characterised as the proportion of individuals out of work within the workforce.

The Congress party has been attacking the Union government over the issue of unemployment ever since Parliament security was breached.

The security breach occurred on Wednesday (13 December), the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament terror attack, with two intruders entering the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour.

“Unemployment is the country’s biggest issue right now. Because of Modiji’s policies, India’s youth are unable to find jobs. The breach has happened for sure, but unemployment and inflation are the reasons behind it,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters recently.

“Unemployment is a significant issue. The fact that unemployed youth are driven to such desperate acts on the day Parliament was attacked by terrorists is something all politicians, and particularly PM Narendra Modi, must deliberate upon,” Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on X.

Hitting back at Gandhi, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya wrote on X, “Rahul Gandhi never disappoints; always talks trash. For the record, unemployment in India is at 3.2%, the lowest in six years.”

The unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above in urban areas declined to 6.6 per cent in the September quarter from 7.2 per cent a year ago, as per the National Sample Survey Survey (NSSO).

This decline is seen as a significant improvement, especially considering the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions, which had contributed to elevated joblessness levels in the July-September period.