GUWAHATI: More than 15.43 lakh people are currently registered as unemployed in Assam, according to data tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly on the opening day of the Budget Session, underscoring the magnitude of the state's employment challenge.
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The figures were shared by the Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship Department, headed by Minister Biswajit Daimary, in response to a question raised by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed.
Among the districts, Kamrup (M)recorded the highest number of registered unemployed at 1,24,744, followed by Dibrugarh with 1,10,605 and Barpeta with 91,312, highlighting the concentration of job seekers in some of the state's key urban and semi-urban centres.
Seeking details on employment generation through employment exchanges between 2016 and 2025, Ahmed was informed that government jobs are no longer provided through employment exchanges. Their current role is largely limited to facilitating placements in the private sector.
The government further revealed that only 30,656 unemployed youths were placed in private sector jobs through employment exchanges during the nine-year period from 2016 to 2025. The figures point to a wide gap between the number of registered job seekers and those who have secured employment through the existing system.
The Assembly was also informed that 150 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have been established across Assam under government, private and public-private partnership models. However, 12 ITIs are currently non-functional, raising questions about the utilisation of skill development infrastructure and the effectiveness of the state's employment ecosystem.