New Delhi, Jan 11 : The Congress alleged that the employment situation in the country has deteriorated over the last decade of the Modi government, asserting that the prime minister has failed miserably in delivering on his promise of creating two crore jobs annually.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, emphasized the need for growth that provides the youth with quality employment rather than leaving them jobless or resorting to “pakora” shops. Citing data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Ramesh pointed out that the unemployment rate for youth aged 25-29 was at its highest in almost four years, reaching 15.5 percent in December 2023.
He claimed that this unemployment level is now worse than during the COVID-19 pandemic. For youth aged 20-24, the unemployment rate peaked at 45.5 percent. Ramesh also highlighted a three-year high in unemployment for those between the ages of 30 and 34.
Ramesh argued that the crisis is particularly severe in rural areas, pushing more families towards the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as alternative employment options become scarce.
“It is absolutely evident that the Prime Minister has failed most miserably to fulfill his promise of creating 2 crore jobs per year,” concluded Ramesh.
