{"id":290,"date":"2026-09-08T12:06:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T12:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/?p=290"},"modified":"2026-09-08T12:06:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T12:06:43","slug":"india-has-more-jobs-but-are-they-the-jobs-young-indians-want","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/india-has-more-jobs-but-are-they-the-jobs-young-indians-want\/","title":{"rendered":"India Has More Jobs. But Are They the Jobs Young Indians Want?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is a sentence we hear a lot in political conversations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndia needs more jobs.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it is also becoming an incomplete way of looking at the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because India is not simply dealing with a shortage of employment. We are dealing with a much more complicated question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of jobs are being created, where are they being created, how much do they pay, and do they match what young Indians are preparing themselves for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That distinction matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially in politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because a young person does not experience the employment rate as a number on a government report. They experience it through their job search, their salary, their commute, their rent, their family expectations and the number of applications sitting unanswered in their inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that is where the political conversation around jobs needs to become much more honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The employment numbers are not all negative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

India’s latest Periodic Labour Force Survey gives us reasons to acknowledge progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the PLFS Annual Report for 2025, India’s youth unemployment rate for those aged 15\u201329 fell from 10.3% in 2024 to 9.9% in 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urban youth unemployment also declined, from 14.3% to 13.6%<\/strong>, while rural youth unemployment fell from 8.7% to 8.3%<\/strong>. (Press Information Bureau<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall picture also shows a gradual shift in the structure of employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proportion of workers in regular wage or salaried employment increased from 22.4% in 2024 to 23.6% in 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the share of self-employed workers declined from 57.5% to 56.2%<\/strong>. (Press Information Bureau<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government also estimates that an average of 61.6 crore people aged 15 and above were employed during 2025<\/strong>. (Press Information Bureau<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These numbers matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They should not be dismissed simply because they don’t fit a particular political argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they should also not be treated as the end of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because employment statistics tell us how many people are working<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They don’t automatically tell us whether those people are satisfied with the work they have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that is where the harder question begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A job is not always the same thing as a career<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Imagine a 24-year-old who spent four years completing a degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps they spent another year preparing for competitive examinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They finally find work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technically, they are employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But perhaps the salary barely covers their expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps there is no meaningful career progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the work has little connection with their education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps they are working 10 hours a day but still cannot afford to move out of their parents’ home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can we simply look at that person and say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProblem solved. They have a job.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why the quality of employment matters just as much as employment itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest PLFS data shows that among regular wage and salaried workers in 2025, average monthly earnings were about \u20b924,217 for men and \u20b918,353 for women<\/strong>. For self-employed workers, average earnings were around \u20b917,914 for men and \u20b96,374 for women<\/strong>. (Press Information Bureau<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These numbers don’t tell us everything about living standards, but they do tell us something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all employment produces the same economic security.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And young Indians are increasingly aware of that difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young Indians don’t just want \u201ca job\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They want a job that allows them to build a life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means a reasonable salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means some degree of stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means learning new skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means the possibility of promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means being able to afford housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means not spending half the salary travelling to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means having enough left at the end of the month to save something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And increasingly, it means having skills that remain valuable five or ten years from now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This becomes even more important because India’s young population is entering a labour market that is changing very quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology is changing jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artificial intelligence is changing the way companies work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manufacturing is becoming more automated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Services are becoming more specialised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies are looking for workers who can combine technical knowledge with communication, problem-solving and digital skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our education system and our labour market do not always move at the same speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PLFS 2025 report found that only 5% of people aged 15\u201329 had received or were receiving formal vocational or technical training<\/strong>. (Press Information Bureau<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is a very important number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because if the economy changes faster than the skills pipeline, simply creating more jobs will not solve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need people who can actually fill those jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there is the government-job problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is another part of India’s employment conversation that political parties sometimes find uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millions of young Indians continue to prepare for government examinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many families, a government job represents stability, social status and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing wrong with wanting one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when a huge number of educated young people spend years competing for a relatively limited number of government positions, it tells us something about how the private labour market is perceived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people are not only asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are the jobs?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are also asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich jobs can I trust?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is a very different question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A young graduate may reject a job not because they don’t want to work, but because the salary is too low, the employment is insecure, the location is impractical or there is no visible path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That distinction is extremely important for policymakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The political mistake is treating \u201cyouth\u201d as one voter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is where employment becomes a political consulting issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political parties love demographic labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth voters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First-time voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urban voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rural voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these categories are often too broad to build a serious campaign around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take three young Indians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One is a 22-year-old preparing for a government examination in Patna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another is a 25-year-old working in an IT company in Bengaluru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third is a 27-year-old running a small manufacturing business in a tier-2 city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All three are \u201cyoung voters\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their economic concerns are completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One may care about examination delays and government recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another may care about salary growth, housing and workplace opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third may care about credit, electricity costs, GST compliance, skilled workers and market access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a political campaign simply creates a generic message saying \u201cWe will create jobs for youth\u201d<\/strong>, it may sound good but communicate very little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where serious political strategy begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign needs to ask better questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Instead of asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do young voters want?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A political campaign should ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which young voters are we talking about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do they live?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of work do they do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are they employed or looking for work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are they studying?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are they preparing for government exams?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are they entrepreneurs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What income level are they at?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is their biggest economic concern?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do they believe is stopping them from moving forward?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps the most important question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would make them believe that a political promise is actually achievable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the difference between a slogan and a strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jobs need to become a constituency-level issue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A national employment policy can talk about manufacturing, services, infrastructure, skilling and investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of those matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But political campaigns operate in constituencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the employment problem can look completely different from one constituency to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one constituency, the biggest concern may be government recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another, it may be the lack of industrial jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another, young people may be leaving because there are simply not enough opportunities locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a university town, the issue may be internships and first employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a rural constituency, it may be underemployment and the lack of non-farm opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why political consulting cannot stop at national statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The data needs to come down to the constituency.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National unemployment tells you something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State-level employment data tells you more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But constituency-level conversations tell you what the number actually means to voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a skills question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

India’s demographic advantage is often discussed as though having a large young population automatically creates economic strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people become an economic advantage only when they have the education, skills, health and opportunities needed to participate productively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Economic Survey has repeatedly highlighted the importance of improving the quality and relevance of skilling. Its employment chapter has also stressed that employment is the link through which economic growth translates into better quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why the employment conversation cannot be separated from education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A degree without employable skills creates frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skills without enough jobs create frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jobs without decent wages create frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And jobs concentrated in only a few cities create migration and housing pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pieces are connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, are more jobs enough?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But saying that India has made no employment progress would also be wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest data shows declining youth unemployment, an increase in regular salaried employment and a very large number of people participating in work. (Press Information Bureau<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more useful question is what comes next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can India create more productive employment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can more young people move into stable and better-paying work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can vocational training become more relevant to actual industry requirements?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can smaller cities create enough opportunities so that every ambitious young person doesn’t feel compelled to move to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Hyderabad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can women participate in the labour market at a much larger scale?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can India’s manufacturing ambitions create large numbers of good jobs rather than only output?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And can education keep pace with an economy being reshaped by technology and AI?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are not just economic questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are political questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the politics of employment is changing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A young voter may not describe their political thinking using economic terminology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may simply say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI studied hard. I have skills. I am willing to work. Why is building a decent life still so difficult?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sentence contains an entire political constituency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And political parties need to listen to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just during election season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just when releasing a manifesto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just when promising five million jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They need to understand what employment actually means to people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because ultimately, a job is not merely a statistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is someone’s rent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone’s independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone’s marriage plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone’s ability to support their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone’s decision to stay in their hometown rather than migrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone’s belief that studying hard was worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for millions of young Indians, it is their first real test of whether the economy is working for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why the political question shouldn’t simply be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow many jobs did we create?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat kind of future can a young Indian build because of those jobs?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the question political campaigns need to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps more importantly, that is the question policymakers need to answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because India’s demographic dividend is not a number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a generation of young people waiting to find out whether the economy has a place for their ambition. \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think India needs more urgently: more jobs, better jobs, or better skills for the jobs that are already being created?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a sentence we hear a lot in political conversations: \u201cIndia needs more jobs.\u201d It is true. But it is also becoming an incomplete way of looking at the problem. Because India is not simply dealing with a shortage of employment. We are dealing with a much more complicated question: What kind of jobs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[382,425,113,208,426,430,429,433,432,114,431,428,427],"class_list":["post-290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-democracy-governance","tag-economic-development","tag-employment","tag-governance","tag-india","tag-indian-economy","tag-job-creation","tag-jobs-in-india","tag-labour-market","tag-political-consulting","tag-public-policy","tag-skills-development","tag-youth","tag-youth-employment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":291,"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions\/291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amareshrai.com\/bharat-sandesh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}