Congress Challenges Centre’s Job Creation Claims Amid ‘Unemployment Crisis’

On Monday, the Congress party disputed the Centre's assertion of creating eight crore jobs. Jairam Ramesh criticised the government for allegedly manipulating statistics and not paying attention to job quality. He argued that 'employment growth' figures are inflated by counting unpaid domestic work as employment. The upcoming budget is expected to continue this trend.

On Monday, the Congress party countered the Centre's claim of creating eight crore new jobs, alleging that the government has engaged in 'artful statistical jugglery' to substantiate its job creation figures. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted that India faces a 'severe Modi-made unemployment crisis,' where millions of young job-seekers are met with limited opportunities.

Ramesh commented on the Reserve Bank of India's new estimates, suggesting that the government's claim of a booming job market is misleading. He criticized the expansive definition of employment used by the government, which includes unpaid household work done by women. This, he said, creates a false sense of job growth while overlooking the quality and circumstances of employment.

Ramesh labeled this statistical manipulation as part of Prime Minister Modi's legacy. He forecasted that the forthcoming Budget would continue to misrepresent the economic reality, overshadowing the 'extremely grim' employment situation characterized by mass unemployment and low-quality jobs.