[The PLFS was launched by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2017 as a nationwide Labour Force Survey.]
The details of unemployment rate accounted for the principal status and subsidiary status of people from major religious groups.
These included Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism.
What is the religion-wise unemployment picture?
Across the urban-rural and gender divides, unemployment rates vary among religious groups.
The rate of unemployment among Christian men in rural as well as urban areas is higher than for men from other religions.
It stood at 6.9% and 8.8% in rural and urban areas respectively in this category.
In rural areas, the rate of unemployment among Hindu men was 5.7%, among Muslim men, 6.7% and among Sikh, 6.4%.
On the other hand, in urban areas, 6.9% Hindu men remained unemployed; it was 7.5% among Muslim men and 7.2% among Sikh men.
The rate of unemployment among women in urban areas was markedly more.
It was 10% for Hindu women, 14.5% for Muslim women and 15.6% for Christian women.
In rural areas, the rate was 3.5% for Hindu women, 5.7% among Muslim women and 5.7% among Sikh women.
Among women, Sikh females (16.9%) accounted for the highest number of unemployed in urban areas and Christian women (8.8%) in rural areas.
What is the government’s response?
Mr.Naqvi noted that the ministry has adopted a strategy to enhance the employability of notified minorities (Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Jains).
Various schemes aimed at educational empowerment, employment-oriented skill development, etc were rolled out.
He also said that most of the Centre’s socio-economic and educational empowerment programmes are meant for the poor and downtrodden sections, and the minorities are getting equally benefited from them.
