Amid Pandemic-Pushed Slowdown, Uttar Pradesh's Unemployment Rate Dips To 4.1 %

After Coronavirus hit the country, the unemployment rate in the state had sky-rocketed to 21 per cent in Uttar Pradesh but it has now dipped to 4.1 per cent.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

After surpassing states such as Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu and jumping to number 2 spot in the country locking Rs 19.48 lakh crore of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) the Yogi Adityanath government recently achieved another feat by bringing down the unemployment rate to 4.1 per cent in February this year as per a report of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

The statewide unemployment rate and figures were released by the CMIE recently.

Last year, in the wake of the corona-induced lockdown, the unemployment rate in the state had sky-rocketed to 21 per cent. In Rajasthan, it was over 25 per cent during the same period.

Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal who is also the spokesperson of the state government, said that as per CMIE figures, the unemployment rate was 17.5 per cent before 2017. In early 2020, the state government managed to keep it at 10 per cent but the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns posed a challenge before the government as the unemployment rose to 21 per cent.

Sehgal said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a series of steps were initiated by the MSME sector, which is also considered the largest job giver sector.

These measures helped the state in recovering from Covid-triggered economic gloom and gradually, global giants started being attracted towards the state, triggering economic activities.

To address problems faced by migrants, the state government had also set up a Migrant Commission and all these measures enabled the state to bring down the unemployment rate to 4.1 per cent from 21 per cent in 2020.

The UP government is already getting much appreciation for attaining the second spot in GSDP list. 

The finance department data shows that the state's GSDP in 2020-2021 crossed the USD 268 billion mark making the state climbing three ranks to figure at number 2 position in 2020-21 from number 5 in 2019-2020.

With the financial capital Mumbai, Maharashtra continued to lead the tally. UP moved to number two followed by Tamil Nadu with GSDP Rs 19.2 lakh crore, Karnataka Rs 18.03 lakh crore, and Gujarat Rs 17.4 lakh crore at number 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Tamil Nadu was second and Gujarat third last fiscal while Karnataka was at the fourth slot.

CM Yogi Adityanath had revealed on the floor of Assembly during the ongoing budget session that the UP government had accorded the benefit of Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna to a total of 2.37 crore farmers in the state, the certificate of which was given by the Centre.

Moreover, the CM also informed the house that of the MoUs of Rs 4.28 lakh crore inked during the investors' summit in February 2018, nearly Rs 3 lakh crore have started at the ground level. State exports have also increased to 32% in the last two years.

(With inputs from IANS)