35 lakh jobs created in 6 months: NITI Aayog

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26

The NITI Aayog on Thursday said with at least 35.3 lakh new payrolls being created in during six months ended  February this year, the recently introduced payroll data “would end the debate and criticism about jobless growth”.

It said the numbers indicate efforts made by the government on job creation and formalisation of the economy. “Hopefully this would also end the debate regarding and criticisms about jobless growth in the economy,” it said.

The Modi government has been facing flak over job creation. India has, for the first time, introduced monthly payroll reporting for the formal sector to facilitate analysis of new and continuing employment. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)  and the Pension fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have released payroll data.

The EPFO data shows that during September, 2017, to February, 2018, 31.1 lakh additions were made to the payroll. From the PFRDA, the New Pension Scheme data indicates generation of 4.2 lakh new payroll during the given period. From the above two organisations itself, 35.3 lakh payrolls were generated during the period, the government said. 

The NITI Aayog said the ESIC data also mirrors the payroll growth shown in the other two sets of data from the EPFO and the PFRDA. Since ESIC data is not Aadhaar seeded, there is further scope of some modifications.