India's Informal Sector Created A Record One Crore New Jobs In 2023-24

The use of Internet, for entrepreneurial purpose, has increased from 13.50 per cent in 2022-23 to 17.90 per cent in 2023-24 in rural and from 30.20 per cent to 37 per cent in urban sector

The unincorporated non-agricultural sector employed more than 12 crore workers between October 2023 and September 2024, marking an increase of more than one crore workers from 2022-23, reflecting a robust 10.01 per cent growth in the labour market, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Wednesday.

The data, which is part of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE 2023-24), shows that more than one-third of this workforce was engaged in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The proportion of female workers to total workers has increased from 25.63 per cent in ASUSE 2022-23 to 28.12 per cent in ASUSE 2023-24. About 58 per cent of the establishments were headed by female proprietors in the manufacturing sector during the survey period, the ministry said. The total number of establishments in the sector increased substantially from 6.5 crore in 2022-23 to 7.34 crore in 2023-24, representing a healthy 12.84 per cent growth.

The unincorporated non-agricultural sector holds significant importance in the Indian economy, primarily due to its ability to absorb a significant portion of the country’s workforce, its inclusivity in providing employment opportunities to a diverse range of people and also for its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Among the broad sectors covered, the number of establishments in the "Other Services" sector recorded a growth of 23.55 per cent followed by a 13 per cent increase witnessed in the manufacturing sector.