Joblessness Among India’s Minorities Rises in 2023-24

In a concerning trend, joblessness among India’s minority communities increased in the fiscal year 2023-24, even as the overall unemployment rate in the country remained stable for the first time in five years, Muslim Mirror reported yesterday.

According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey, the unemployment rate for Muslims rose from 2.4% in 2022-23 to 3.2% in 2023-24, marking the sharpest increase among all religious groups.

The survey revealed that Sikhs faced the highest unemployment rate at 5.8%, up from 5.1% the previous year. Christians also experienced a slight rise in joblessness, while unemployment among Hindus decreased marginally by 0.1 percentage points.

Additionally, the survey reported that literacy rates among Muslims are the lowest compared to other communities, showing only a 2.6% increase over the past five years. Kundu emphasized the importance of improving literacy rates to enhance employability among Muslims.