Revealing a shocking spike in the unemployment rate in Jammu & Kashmir, the newly unveiled survey by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has noted that J&K has the highest unemployment figure in the country with a grueling rate of 21.6 percent.According to the CMIE’s “30 day moving average” survey for the month of September, J&K has recorded a 21.6 per cent unemployment rate preceded by the states of Haryana and Rajasthan where the unemployment rate stood at 20.3 per cent and 17.9 per cent respectively.At the beginning of 2021, J&K’s unemployment rate was 21.9 per cent which dipped to 14.2 per cent in February, 11.4 per cent in April, 12.1 per cent in May and 10.6 per cent in the month of June.Though the J&K’s unemployment rate, as per CMIE, has witnessed a decline since January 2021 till June 2021, it took an ugly turn in the month of September when it surpassed the national average of unemployment.Using Consumer Pyramids Household Survey machinery, CMIE has pegged India’s unemployment rate at 6.86 per cent which itself ascertains the fact that J&K has much higher unemployment rate than the national average.Besides these official figures, the other data sources accessed by Kashmir Observer indicate the severity of unemployment in J&K.According to the 2020 employment registration carried out by the Directorate of Employment, J&K witnessed 3 lakh registrations by Postgraduates and PHD degree holders.As per the National Statistical Office (NSO)’s latest report, “Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey(PLFS),” for the Quarter 3 of Financial year 2020-21, J&K had the highest unemployment rate followed by Kerala at 16.7 percent and Jharkhand at 16 percent.The report has also revealed that the unemployment rate in J&K was highest among the women compared to the men.For women, the report noted, the rate was recorded at 13.1 per cent whereas the unemployment rate among men in the region was recorded at 9.5 per cent during October-December Financial year 20-21.The report also revealed that last year the unemployment rate for women in J&K was recorded at 9.8 per cent and 7.3 per cent for men.“In the July-September 2019 quarter the unemployment rate in urban J&K was recorded at 4.8 per cent, October-December 2019 at 7.3 per cent, January-March 2020 at 9.2 per cent and April-June 2020 at 10.1 per cent,” the report says.It is pertinent to mention here that NSO has surveyed 231 villages of rural J&K where more than 8900 persons were surveyed and in 1400 households of 175 blocks in Urban J&K, where over 6300 persons were surveyed for the compilation of the report
