Unemployment is the most burning issue in the country, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on December 24.
In an apparent attack on the BJP-led Centre, Mr. Kharge said in a post on X in Hindi, “The youth of the country are asking where are the two crore jobs per year? Why is the process between recruitment exams and securing a job so complicated?” “Unemployment is the most burning issue in the country,” he said.
Citing the periodic labour force survey (PLFS) of July 2022-June 2023, he said, “The unemployment rate for persons aged 15-29 years is 10%.” Quoting the PLFS data, the Congress president said rural unemployment in the country in the age group of 15-19 years stood at 8.3% in the July 2022-June 2023 period, while urban unemployment for the same category in this period was higher at 13.8%. “Why was the MSME sector destroyed, jobs of crores of youth were snatched away and their future ruined?” his post added.
