New Delhi, July 23 -- Formal jobs and self-employment are on the rise in India while the youth unemployment is below the global average, the statistics ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry stated that formal employment is rising steadily, with nearly 13 million net subscribers for provident fund getting added in FY25 under the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), more than double the number in FY19.

Since September 2017, more than 77.3 million net subscribers have joined, including nearly 2 million in April 2025 alone -indicating a strengthened formal workforce and greater social protection coverage, the ministry stated.

A structural shift is also underway: Periodic Labour Force Survey data indicates that self-employment i...