The Jammu and Kashmir government has made significant progress in employment and skill development, with the unemployment rate declining to 6.1% in 2023-24 from 6.7% in 2019-20.
As per the economy survey report 2024-25, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) has risen from 56.30% in 2019-20 to 64.30% in 2023-24, while the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) has improved from 52.50% to 60.40% in the same period.
Government initiatives have played a key role in this progress. The PM Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) has supported 57,244 enterprises since 2020-21, creating 4.58 lakh jobs, with ₹1,169.34 crore disbursed as margin money. J&K led the country in 2023-24 with 15,037 units established under PMEGP, ranking third in margin money released (₹281.06 crore).
The Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) has also contributed by supporting 3,481 enterprises, generating jobs for 20,886 individuals, and disbursing ₹92 crore in margin money. Meanwhile, the Tejaswini scheme has benefited 150 women, and the Mumkin scheme has provided self-employment opportunities to 529 youths in 2024-25.
To enhance workforce skills, the Skill India Portal (SIP) under PMKVY 4.0 has registered 1,775 candidates across 49 NCVT Government ITIs, with 1,383 trained so far. Initiatives like STRIVE and PMKVY are also focusing on industry-relevant training to bridge the skill gap effectively.
Efforts to provide employment opportunities have been reinforced through job fairs, with 32 events held, leading to 382 on-spot placements and 452 skill development recommendations in FY 2024-25. The E-Shram portal has also registered 35.28 lakh unorganized workers, while 1.15 lakh workers have enrolled in the PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan pension scheme, ensuring social security benefits.
Jobs created under PMEGP in J&K
