Odisha's Unemployment Rate at 3.9%, Worse in Urban Areas: Minister

Odisha had an unemployment rate of 3.9%, which was higher than the national average of 3.2%, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain told the assembly on Friday.

In a written reply to BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, Swain said Odisha was in the 21st position among all states and Union Territories in the unemployment rate as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022-23 conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).

While the unemployment rate in the state's rural areas was 3.6%, it was 6.2% in the urban areas, he said.

There were 11,04,229 youths—3,86,699 females and 7,17,530 males—who registered themselves with different employment exchanges in the state till May 31, 2024, he added.

The highest number of 1,37,986 people registered at the special employment exchange for SC/ST.

A total of 57,855 people registered with the employment exchange in Puri, followed by 54,001 people with the exchange in Berhampur in Ganjam district, 53,842 in Kendrapara, 53,084 in Balasore and 52,169 in Rourkela in Sundergarh district.

Only 8,401 people have got employment through the state's Skill Development and Employment Exchange over the last 10 years, the minister said.

Swain said that to create employment opportunities, Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) has been organising job fairs.

Between 2008-09 and 2023-24, 412 job fairs were organised and appointment letters were given to 2,05,980 people, he said.

The OSDA in partnership with reputed private organisations has undertaken a placement-linked training programme, through which employment was given to 3,964 people during 2022-23 and 3,922 people in 2023-24, he added.

The state government has also created opportunities for 21,140 youths through various employment and self-employment training programmes. It also provides pre-recruitment training to youths for their selection in the Army, Swain said.

The state has 72 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 34 polytechnics through which skill development training was being provided, he said.