Bhubaneswar: Official employment exchange records show that well over 1.3 million job seekers in Odisha are actively looking for work, reflecting substantial youth unemployment across the state. Odishatourism guide In a written response delivered during Friday’s proceedings in the state legislative assembly, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain tabled comprehensive employment figures spanning both local and national databases. Responding directly to an inquiry raised by senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lawmaker Ranendra Pratap Swain, the minister reported that the state’s network of District Skill Development-cum-Employment offices had 1,379,424 registered unemployed youth on record through May 31 this year. A substantial contingent of these applicants holds formal higher credentials. Across technical and non-technical disciplines, 143,437 of the registered candidates have completed diploma or degree courses. Parallel data from the central government’s National Career Service (NCS) portal reveals a comparable scale. As of August 31, 2026, the NCS system recorded 1,307,411 registered job hunters from the state. A gender-wise breakdown of this live register, maintained across employment exchanges and the digital portal, indicates that men account for 879,411 applicants, while women make up 428,000. The minister pointed out that NCS enrollment remains entirely discretionary, meaning the count represents individuals who have stepped forward to sign up on the public registry rather than a total measure of all jobless residents. Addressing state interventions, Swain explained that Odisha is deploying targeted training programs designed to enhance youth employability and curb unemployment rates. Managed under the Skill Development and Technical Education Department, the state’s primary delivery mechanisms include the Placement Linked Training Programme (PLTP) and the Nua Odisha initiative. Alongside structured skills development, authorities are actively arranging recruitment drives and employment fairs at both district and state tiers to link job-seeking youth directly with prospective employers.
Odisha Assembly: Over 13 Lakh Job Seekers; 8.79 Lakh Men, 4.28 Lakh Women
