Employment News
Youth unemployment rises to 15.3% in June, labour participation dips
The unemployment rate among youth -- 15-29 age group -- rose for the second month in a row to 15.3 per cent in June from 15 per cent in May, the monthly periodic labour force survey (PLFS) data released on Tuesday revealed. The rise in youth unemployment rate was more pronounced in urban areas with the June figure coming in at 18.8 per cent, against 17.9 per cent in May. In the rural areas, it was 13.8 per cent in June against 13.7 per cent of May.
India’s unemployment rate stays at 5.6% in June from last month
India’s unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and over stood at 5.6 per cent in June 2025, unchanged from the previous month, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Contractual hiring in Q4 FY25 hit by geopolitics, new banking rules and end of festive season, says Indian Staffing Federation
According to industry body Indian Staffing Federation, ‘flexi staffing’ rose by 9.7 per cent in FY25, posting the lowest increase since the coronavirus pandemic-hit year of FY21. Temporary workers have become increasingly important for companies in sectors such as e-commerce, retail, fast moving consumer goods, logistics, and hospitality as they help meet fluctuations in demand due to seasonal and other factors.
Women in the Workforce
Women MSMEs still struggle for credit despite schemes | Data
Limited access to formal credit and the widening credit gap continue to prevent women entrepreneurs from achieving their financial goals
Benefits for Workers
Why the New Master Health Check-Up Scheme for Construction Workers needs to address the broader issues of occupational health in Tamilnadu?
At the recent presentation on the 2025-2026 budget, the Tami Nadu govt announced that a master health check-up scheme will be launched for members of the Tamil Nadu Construction Workers Welfare Board. This is a welcome move by the state, but one that must be followed by a serious consideration of occupational health for unorganised workers across multiple sectors.
Just 7% of TN’s gig workers signed up for welfare scheme
Chennai: Tamil Nadu's gig worker population is 1.5 lakh, but only about 10,000 have enrolled under the Tamil Nadu Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board since its launch in 2023.
Policy Changes
Align jobs schemes with ELI: Mandaviya to states
New Delhi: Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urged states to consider aligning their employment-oriented schemes with the objectives of the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme while encouraging them to actively promote the ELI scheme, which comes into effect from 1 August.
Need to push GCC with policy support, exact action points: DEA Secy
There was a need to study state-specific policies where global capability centres (GCCs) have grown, such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka, to strategise how the government can support this sector with a targeted policy push, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) secretary Anuradha Thakur said on Monday.
Unlock tier-2 cities to boost growth of GCCs: MeitY joint secretary Secy KK Singh
Around 95% of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India are currently concentrated in just six cities, posing a challenge to efforts aimed at inclusive regional growth, a senior government official said on Monday.
Labour secy urges GCCs to seize job creation opportunity
Labour and Employment Secretary Vandana Gurnani on Monday urged Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to actively engage with the government's new Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, highlighting its job creation potential and dual benefits for employers and employees.
Migrant Realities
Yemeni Authorities Postpone Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya's Execution
“GoI, which has since the beginning of the case been rendering all possible assistance in the matter, has made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family of Ms. Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party,” sources said. The sources said that Indian officials secured the postponement “despite the sensitivities involved” and that they have been in regular touch with local jail authorities and the prosecutor’s office.
Sigachi blast in Telangana shows what ease of doing business means for migrant workers
The factory collapse killed 44 workers. There were no fire exits, no safety checks, and no real urgency about compensation.
Exporting Workers
Russia to recruit 1 million skilled Indian workers by 2025
Russia has announced plans to hire up to one million skilled professionals from India by the end of 2025. The large-scale recruitment drive is aimed at addressing severe labour shortages in Russia’s key industrial regions and is expected to create new global opportunities for India’s skilled workforce. To facilitate this migration, a new Indian consulate is set to open in Yekaterinburg—Russia’s fourth-largest city and a major industrial hub.
Skilling
Mahindra Holidays turns to local communities for talent as India’s hospitality schools empty out
Faced with a talent shortage, one Indian hotel chain is recruiting from remote villages and training workers from scratch. The hospitality sector faces a peculiar paradox: whilst the industry expands, the pipeline of trained professionals is shrinking. The Covid-19 pandemic devastated hospitality education, leaving more than 6,000 out of 12,500 academic seats vacant, according to industry data. Students increasingly shun hospitality as a career path, viewing it as low-paid service work with limited prospects.
Election Issues
From matrubhoomi to karmabhoomi: Bihar BJP reaches out to migrant voters in states
BJP leaders from Bihar are traveling to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana among other states to hold interactive sessions with migrants who are registered as voters in Bihar and appeal to them to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Assembly elections. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is running this programme in 25 districts, including Saharanpur, Noida, Chandauli, Kushi Nagar, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Ghaziabad among others, where Bihar-origin people are in significant numbers.
Bihar migrants in Delhi worried about electoral roll revision back home: ‘How will I prove who I am and where I am from?’
Delhi is among top destinations for migrants from the state. Most only have a faint idea about the EC roll revision drive – or how to go about enrolling for it, here or back home.
Digital Exclusion
Bengal: Centre’s Aadhaar-Based KYC Directive Puts Anganwadi Meals at Risk
In many cases, the newly captured photographs do not match the ones on Aadhaar cards, creating confusion and anxiety among Anganwadi workers, helpers, and parents.
Are gig workers a part of India’s labour data?
Though gig work is technically included under economic activity in the Periodic Labour Force Survey, without a specific classification, the survey fails to offer visibility into the unique nature of digital labour, characterised by multiple job roles, dependence on algorithms, lack of formal contract and absence of safety metrics
Media Workers
Pune Journalist Sneha Barve Brutally Attacked While Reporting: Here's What Happened
In a heinous attack in broad daylight, journalist Sneha Barve was beaten with a wooden rod till she became unconscious while she was reporting on illegal construction activity in a riverbed in a town near Pune on July 4, 2025. Till date, the main accused, Pandurang Sakharam Morde, a local businessperson with political connections, is yet to be arrested.
Climate Change and Workers
The impact of heat stress on the mental health of rural workers in Rajasthan
While climate-related discussions largely focus on how climate change affects productivity, income and physical health impacts, mental health implications remain underexplored. Rural workers face severe anxiety and distress due to economic and social precarity, and heat-induced illnesses, yet there is no mention of their psychosocial well-being in most heat action plans.
Working Class Lives
Jayadeva’s Premature Coronary Artery Disease registry shows over 24% of patients aged below 40 are drivers
This alarming trend is attributed to a combination of occupational stress and lifestyle risk factors.
Books
The Many Lives of Syeda X by Neha Dixit Is About the Dark Underbelly of ‘New India’
Umar Khalid reviews Nehi Dixit’s book--What does it mean to be poor and working class in India today? What does it mean to be a woman? And what does it mean to be a Muslim? These are some of the themes that journalist Neha Dixit explores with all their interconnections, in her dazzling debut "The Many Lives of Syeda X."