Percentage of unemployed people in Jammu and Kashmir ( 2003-2022)

Unemployment Scenario of Jammu and Kashmir

Unemployment problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir has reached alarming dimensions which is ever increasing every passing year with thousands of educated and uneducated youth getting added to the list of unemployment largely due to economic distress and mismatch.

In a latest survey released by Labour Bureau under Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, Jammu and Kashmir State has emerged as having highest unemployment rate in Northern India.

So on the bases of secondary sources the present paper tries to analyse the situation of employment and unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir. We found unlike structural transformation theory, occupational pattern of the J&K State have shifted from Primary sector to Services Sector, without undergoing the development of the Secondary sector. Also our results show that the problem of Unemployment is more prevalent amongst females in the State of J&K. Key words: Unemployment, Employment, Jammu and Kashmir, Educated Youth

      The State of Jammu & Kashmir presents peculiar geographical and socio-economic settings. It occupies an important position in the Indian subcontinent by virtue of its rugged topography, high altitude and rough terrain. The State is highly dependent on outside supplies of not only material but also men, the dependency in material is easily understandable but the paradox of unemployment and inward migratory labour force is a grave matter of concern. Whereas, on one hand it employs more than 4.5 lakh skilled and unskilled labours who migrate inwards from different parts of the country; on the other hand unemployment is being claimed as one of the sensitive areas of the state economy.

         The unemployment problem in the State has reached alarming dimensions which is ever increasing every passing year with thousands of educated and uneducated youth getting added to the list of unemployment largely due to economic distress and mismatch. According to the population census of India the population of J&K State has increased from 101.44 lakhs in 2001 to 125.49 lakhs in 2011. The number of workers also registered an increase of 15.15% during the  same period. Work participation rate for J&K was estimated at 34.5% as against the All India figures of 39.8% as per census 2011. The number of total workers in J&K as per 2011 census stocxl at 43.23 lakhs of which the main workers constitute 26.44 lakhs (61.77%) and the number of marginal workers constitutes 16.79 lakhs (38.83%). Female workers constituted 26.09% of the total work force. The share of female in the Main workers is only 12.80% as against 47.02% in marginal workers category in J&K. Work opportunities, however, have not kept pace with the increasing population.                   

The problem of unemployment gains more importance because of higher incidence of unemployment among the educated section of youth in the State. Almost 70% of the population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture and allied activities which continue to be a major subsistence sector. However, it may be mentioned that near about 70% of the said marginal workers are associated with the Agricultural and allied sector contributing very marginally to the total production thus giving rise to the disguised unemployment in Agriculture. To avoid this situation, out of the said 16.79 lakh of marginal workers, half of this working force suffers from disguised unemployment who can contribute positively on being shifted to the other sectors