JAMMU, July 23:Despite claims that the government has taken several measures to generate employment for youth, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent in comparison to its four neighbouring states.

This has been revealed in the 66th round of the NSS survey based on the Usual Principal Status (UPS).

The data says the overall unemployment rate in Punjab is 4.5 per cent, Himachal Pradesh 2.8 per cent, Delhi 2.7 per cent and Haryana 2.6 per cent. These states are better placed than Jammu and Kashmir. The all-India unemployment rate stands at 2.6 per cent only.

Official figures have revealed that the unemployment rate of males in J&K is 3.6 per cent while that of females is 17.1 per cent, which is far too high, when compared to Punjab 11.7 per cent, Haryana 2.8 per cent, Delhi 2.8 per cent and Himachal Pradesh 2.5 per cent.

The report says the number of registered job seekers have increased form 1.11 lakh in 2007 to 6.01 lakh in 2011 (November end), thereby registering an increase of 439 per cent.

“The problem of unemployment among females is predominant in Jammu and Kashmir based on the UPS as the gap between the unemployment rate of females in J&K is 17.1 per cent and at the all-India level is 3.6 per cent,” said an official.

The survey further says work opportunities have not kept pace with the increasing population. The incidence of unemployment is more among the educated youth and nearly 70 per cent of marginal workers are associated with agriculture and allied activities.

The 2001 Census says the literacy rate of the state stood at 55.5 per cent, which has increased to 68.74 percent as per the 2011 Census. The provisional population (7 years and above) of the state as per the 2011 Census is 125.48 lakh persons out of which 72.450 lakh persons are literate.

There are two main sources of unemployment data, NSS Surveys on Employment-Unemployment and the District Employment and Counselling Centres (DECC).

The report says unemployment is more prevalent in urban areas of the state than in rural areas. “The unemployment rate in urban areas based on the 66th round of the NSS survey stood at 6.5 per cent against 4.9 per cent in rural areas, which is a matter of concern.”

The survey says while the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has shown an increasing trend both at the national and state level, but growth is not inclusive and benefits of development initiative programmes do not percolate to all the sections of society, especially to poor at the grass-roots level. This leads to problems like regional disparity, poverty and unemployment.

(TNS)