Call to create adequate jobs in Rajasthan, as youth eager to work
Unemployment among graduates and above in Rajasthan stands at 33%. Most of the extra work is created in the agriculture sector, in which the young workers’ share increased from 39.3% to 47.0% during the last seven years
The youth of Rajasthan are eager to work but are struggling to find adequate employment opportunities, according to a new report titled 'Rajasthan Handbook of Youth Opportunity'. Released on September 8, 2026, the handbook highlights that the share of young workers between 15 and 29 years old who are working or looking for work has increased significantly from 38% in 2017-18 to 51% in 2025.
However, unemployment among graduates and above in Rajasthan stands at a concerning 33%. Most of the new work being created is in the agriculture sector, where the share of young workers has risen from 39.3% to 47.0% over the past seven years, while other sectors have seen a decrease in youth participation.
The report, launched by the Future of India Foundation and Seva Mandir, calls for turning the rising participation in work and education into better employment and earnings in the state. It notes that 39 out of every 100 young workers in Rajasthan are unpaid family workers, a figure that rises to 61% among young women. The handbook was presented alongside a district-level platform, YouthPOWER, which gathered 180 indicators from 27 government databases and ranked each of the 41 districts based on participation, opportunity, work, education, and readiness/skilling.
Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, and Udaipur led the rankings, while Baran, Pratapgarh, and Dungarpur were at the lower end.
The report also found that 77% of working young women are engaged in agriculture, with 61% of them being unpaid family workers. Unemployment among young graduates in the state is particularly high, with 33% joblessness among those with higher education compared to just 3% among those educated up to secondary level. The handbook recommends a state employment policy that tracks job creation, regular employment, social security coverage, and wage growth.
It also emphasizes the need to help small enterprises grow and employ more people, improve earnings and conditions in existing occupations, align skilling with local demand, and expand apprenticeships and paid opportunities for young women.
Janat Shah, founding Director of the Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur, and Sunny Sebastian, former Vice-Chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, spoke at the launch ceremony, emphasizing the importance of addressing the aspirations and hopes of the youth, especially considering that 65% of India's population is under 35.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
