The unemployment rate of individuals aged 15 years and above in Jammu and Kashmir stood at 6.1 per cent in 2023-24 financial year.
The information was shared by the Jammu and Kashmir government in the assembly based on data from the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) in response to a query from MLA Tanvir Sadiq. The government disclosed that by the end of January 2025, a total of 3,70,811 unemployed youth had voluntarily registered on the employment portal.
The government informed that several self-employment schemes, including Mumkin, Tejaswini, Mission Youth, the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), and the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP), have been introduced to boost job opportunities. Since 2021, these initiatives have helped create approximately 9.58 lakh self-employment opportunities, with an additional 1.36 lakh jobs generated in the 2024-25 financial year.
Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the government has provided 3.01 crore person days of employment, benefiting around 8.07 lakh households. To further support entrepreneurship and skill development, the government has launched ‘Mission YUVA’, aiming to set up 1.35 lakh business units and create employment for 4.5 lakh young people across Jammu and Kashmir.
It said the department is committed to strengthening skill development through specialised training programmes that enhance self-employment opportunities. Regular job fairs are held to connect job seekers with employers and encourage private sector participation.
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Unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir has risen in the last five years due to developments like security shutdown and communication blockage post Article 370 and the Covid pandemic.
According to the Kashmir Chamber of Industries and Commerce (KCCI), the shutdown post Article 370, resulted in the loss of Rs 40,000 crore for Kashmir. The suspension of the internet also led to the closure of hundreds of startups and businesses. Some of the IT startups offering services to clients outside Kashmir and abroad couldn’t revive their businesses after the communication blockade was lifted.
