Top 10 Indian states with the highest and lowest unemployment rate
Youth Unemployment in India: Top 10 States and UTs with Highest and Lowest Rates (PLFS 2023–24)
1. Key Highlights:
- India’s total youth unemployment rate: 10.2% (Males: 9.8%, Females: 11%).
- Total unemployment rate in 2023–24: 3.2% (stable over last five years).
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): 60.1% overall (Males: 78.8%, Females: 41.7%).
- Challenge: Job creation is insufficient to meet the influx of new entrants, estimated at 12 million per year.
2. Top 10 Indian States/UTs with Highest Youth Unemployment:
| Rank | State/UT | Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakshadweep | 26.2 | 79.7 | 36.2 |
| 2 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 24.0 | 49.5 | 33.6 |
| 3 | Kerala | 19.3 | 47.1 | 29.9 |
| 4 | Nagaland | 27.9 | 26.6 | 27.4 |
| 5 | Manipur | 19.9 | 27.5 | 22.9 |
| 6 | Ladakh | 11.4 | 38.3 | 22.2 |
| 7 | Arunachal Pradesh | 21.9 | 19.6 | 20.9 |
| 8 | Goa | 13.2 | 31.0 | 19.1 |
| 9 | Punjab | 16.7 | 24.5 | 18.8 |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 16.4 | 19.7 | 17.5 |
Observations:
- UTs like Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar face highest youth unemployment due to limited employment opportunities.
- Kerala’s high literacy rate contrasts with a high youth unemployment rate (29.9%), indicating a skills mismatch and lower Worker-Population Ratio.
- Northeastern states such as Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh also show high unemployment among youth.
3. Top 10 Indian States/UTs with Lowest Youth Unemployment:
| Rank | State/UT | Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madhya Pradesh | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| 2 | Gujarat | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.1 |
| 3 | Jharkhand | 4.8 | 1.5 | 3.6 |
| 4 | Delhi | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 6.6 | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| 6 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 7.8 | 3.7 | 6.6 |
| 7 | Tripura | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.8 |
| 8 | Sikkim | 8.3 | 6.8 | 7.7 |
| 9 | West Bengal | 8.5 | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| 10 | Uttar Pradesh | 9.3 | 12.3 | 9.8 |
Observations:
- Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have the lowest youth unemployment, possibly due to diverse employment opportunities and industrial growth.
- Larger states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal still maintain relatively lower overall unemployment despite high youth population, indicating absorptive capacity in informal and formal sectors.
- Female unemployment remains consistently higher than male in almost all states, highlighting gender disparities in employment.
Updated - April 7, 2025 08:42 AM | Indian Express
Andaman & Nicobar Islands Kerala Nagaland Manipur Ladakh Arunachal Pradesh Goa Punjab Andhra Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Gujarat Jharkhand Delhi Chhattisgarh Dadra & Nagar Haveli Tripura Sikkim West Bengal Uttar Pradesh youth unemployment PLFS 2023-24 labour force participation female unemployment male unemployment India states union territories NSSO Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation job creation skill mismatch regional disparity employment policy