Union Minister slams Oppn-ruled states over rising unemployment among youth

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday questioned the Opposition-ruled states over their failure to arrest rising unemployment, particularly among the youth and also gave a low-down on how the BJP-ruled states were being proactive in addressing the matter related to job opportunities.

Citing data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for the July 2023 to June 2024 period, Pradhan highlighted the glaring disparities in job creation in the states led by Opposition parties.

According to the survey, Opposition-ruled Kerala recorded one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the country, with an overall joblessness rate of 29.9 per cent in the 15-29 age group.

Gender disparity has emerged as one of the major concerning issues, with 47.1 per cent of females and 17.8 per cent of males without jobs in the state.

“Youth are being robbed of their future, especially young women, who have been shockingly abandoned by their own governments. These states are collapsing under the weight of their own mismanagement and corruption,” said Dharmendra Pradhan.

He also cited many reports to indicate ‘governance failures’ in Opposition-ruled states, which in turn are leading to job crises and financial mismanagement. He strongly rebuked the Opposition-ruled states for their reckless spending on populist promises and freebies. He said that populist measures were the reason behind these economies heading into fiscal ruin.

“While the Opposition is busy buying votes with empty promises and pushing their states into bottomless debt, their youth are paying the price — unemployed, disillusioned, and left behind. It's an unforgivable betrayal,” Pradhan said. “These governments are not just incompetent, they’re dangerous,” he claimed.

The Union Minister further gave an account of policies of BJP-ruled states and explained how the governance and economic management was made stable there.

“States like Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have successfully kept youth unemployment under control — Madhya Pradesh recording just 2.6 per cent joblessness and Gujarat 3.3 per cent,” he said.

He further emphasised BJP ruled states’ focus on job creation and sound fiscal policies.

"BJP remains committed to empowering the youth and creating jobs while the Opposition remains mired in mismanagement and unfulfilled promises. It’s time for the people of these states to demand accountability and look towards leadership that delivers results," Pradhan professed.