EPFO Adds 16.10 Lakh Members in February 2025, Led by Youth and Female Surge

The data underscores the growing inclination of Indian workers, especially the younger population, towards joining the organized workforce with long-term financial planning in mind.

The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has released its provisional payroll data for February 2025, indicating a robust surge in employment and social security coverage across India. According to the data, the net addition of members during the month stood at an impressive 16.10 lakh, reflecting both the expanding reach of EPFO and the strengthening of the formal workforce. This marks a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 3.99% compared to February 2024.

Strong Induction of New Subscribers Reflects Rising Formal Employment

In February 2025 alone, EPFO recorded the enrollment of around 7.39 lakh new subscribers. This significant addition is attributed to a combination of growing employment opportunities, increased awareness of social security benefits, and the success of EPFO’s sustained outreach and digital initiatives. The data underscores the growing inclination of Indian workers, especially the younger population, towards joining the organized workforce with long-term financial planning in mind.

Youth Dominate Payroll Additions: 18–25 Age Group Leads the Charge

A critical highlight of the February 2025 payroll data is the continued dominance of the 18-25 age group, which comprised 4.27 lakh of the total new subscribers. This segment alone made up 57.71% of new enrollments, reaffirming the trend of fresh entrants to the labor market opting into formal employment structures early in their careers.

The net payroll addition for the 18–25 age category was approximately 6.78 lakh, registering a 3.01% growth compared to the same period in the previous year. This age group primarily includes first-time job seekers, a sign that India’s employment landscape is expanding to accommodate the country’s youthful workforce.

High Re-Entry Rate Indicates Preference for Continued Social Security

In addition to new subscribers, approximately 13.18 lakh members who had previously exited the EPFO system rejoined in February 2025. This figure marks an 11.85% YoY increase, showcasing a growing trend among workers to maintain their social security coverage even as they switch jobs. Many of these individuals opted to transfer their EPF accumulations instead of withdrawing them, demonstrating a shift in long-term financial behavior toward retirement planning and continuity of benefits.

Encouraging Growth in Female Workforce Participation

The month also recorded a substantial rise in female participation, with 2.08 lakh new female subscribers joining EPFO in February 2025. This figure reflects a 1.26% increase over the previous year, while the net female payroll addition—accounting for re-joins and exits—stood at 3.37 lakh, a 9.23% increase YoY. The data points to a positive movement toward workforce diversity and gender inclusion in formal employment sectors across India.

State-wise Analysis: Maharashtra Leads the Pack

A state-wise breakdown of net payroll additions reveals that the top five states and union territories contributed around 59.75% of the total payroll additions, with a cumulative net addition of 9.62 lakh members. Among them, Maharashtra emerged as the top contributor, accounting for 20.90% of the total net additions in February 2025.

Other high-performing states and UTs included Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh—each contributing over 5% to the national net payroll during the month.

Industry Trends Highlight Services and Tech Sectors

From an industry perspective, several sectors exhibited notable growth in payroll additions. Month-on-month data shows that employment expanded in industries such as:

• Fish Processing and Non-Veg Food Preservation

• Societies, Clubs, and Associations

• Cleaning and Sweeping Services

• Computer-related Manufacturing, Servicing, and Marketing

• Aircraft and Airline Establishments

A major contributor to the net payroll was the expert services category, which includes manpower suppliers, contractors, security services, and other auxiliary roles. This category alone accounted for 41.72% of the net additions, highlighting the dominance of service-oriented employment in EPFO’s coverage landscape.

Data Provisional and Continuously Updated

It’s important to note that EPFO’s payroll data is provisional and subject to revision. The dynamic nature of employment record updates—due to delayed or amended Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) filings and updated exit data—means that figures may be adjusted in subsequent months.

Since April 2018, EPFO has been regularly releasing payroll data, starting from records available from September 2017. The monthly payroll reflects a net addition, calculated from new Aadhaar-verified Universal Account Numbers (UANs), exits, and re-entries of EPFO members.

 

The February 2025 EPFO payroll data paints an optimistic picture of India’s formal employment sector. With steady growth in new joiners, higher female participation, robust rejoining rates, and continued dominance by youth, the data reflects a maturing workforce that values social security and long-term financial planning. Additionally, regional and sectoral trends indicate a widespread economic momentum that is inclusive and diversified—signs of a resilient and forward-looking labor market in India.