In what would surely come as intriguing information for policy-makers, a Labour Ministry survey has found that with an increase in education levels in the country, the unemployment rate was also increasing across age groups.

One out of every three persons in the age group 15 to 29 years who have completed at least their graduation has been found to be unemployed in the report on 'Youth employment- unemployment scenario, 2012-13' which is based on a survey by the Labour Bureau in Chandigarh.

Moreover, the survey found that the unemployment rate among the persons who cannot read and write any languages or are considered illiterate was the lowest with 3.7 per cent without work in the 15-29 age group.

In rural areas, the unemployment rate for graduates and above for the age group 15-29 years was estimated to be at 36.6 per cent. In urban areas, the same was 26.5 per cent.

The unemployment rate in the age group 15 to 24 years was estimated to be 18.1 per cent. In the 18 to 29 age group, 13 per cent was the unemployment rate in 2012-13, the Labour Ministry report said today.

The Ministry said that the majority of persons employed under the age group 15-29 years were either self-employed or casual workers.

It said unemployment rate in the 15-29 age group stood at 13.3 per cent.

The survey was conducted between October, 2012, to May, 2013, in all states/UTs and covered all districts.

In all, 1,33,354 households were covered: 82,624 in rural areas and 50,730 in the urban sector.

Based on the survey, the labour force participation rate was estimated to be 31.2, 47.3 and 39.5 per cent, respectively, among age groups 15-24, 18-29 and 15-29 years.

Talking especially about the northern region, the report said that the labour force participation rate in Haryana was estimated to be 35.3 per cent followed by 36.2 per cent in Punjab, 36.3 per cent in the Union Territory of Chandigarh and 45.1 per cent in Himachal Pradesh for the age group 15-29 years.

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