Youth unemployment in Punjab drops from 19.1% to 17%, says Arora
CHANDIGARH: Putting the opposition on the back foot in the state legislative assembly, Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development & Training and Industries & Commerce Minister Mr. Aman Arora said that the state has provided over 68000 Government Jobs and attracted investments worth ₹1,83,837 crore and generated 6,36,636 private sector jobs over the last four-and-a-half years.
Winding up the discussion on a resolution on employment opportunities moved by MLA S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal in the House, on Wednesday, Mr. Aman Arora told the House that the investment inflows had directly and indirectly created over 6.36 lakh jobs in the private sector. He cited the example of Japanese steel major AICHI Steel, which scaled up its planned investment from ₹500 crore to ₹1,100 crore after being impressed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led state government’s facilitation and ease of doing business.
Catching the Congress MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia off guard on charge that no one from Shahkot assembly constituency got a government job, Mr Aman Arora challenged him to convene a gathering in his Shahkot constituency. “I will come and we will ask the people if they got jobs. If I am wrong, I will resign as minister and MLA. If I am right, then Laddi should resign,” he said. MLA Laddi didn’t accept the challenge and walked away.
He asserted that all government jobs had been given on merit, without any bribe or recommendation. Mr. Aman Arora highlighted the state government’s record push for skill development, noting that the state budget had allocated ₹25 crore for the Skill Development Mission for the first time in 75 years, up from ₹10 crore previously. He claimed over 22 lakh youth had been facilitated through placement camps and handholding exercises. At a recent mega job fair in Sunam, 61 companies participated and issued on-the-spot job letters to nearly 700 youth.
The Employment Generation minister further shared that the state government was setting up a ₹100-crore world-class Sant Attar Singh Maharaj Armed Forces Preparatory Institute in Sangrur district– the first of its kind globally – to train 500 youth annually for officer-level positions in the armed forces.
Citing central government data, Mr. Aman Arora said Punjab’s unemployment rate among the 15-29 age group had dropped from 19.1 per cent in 2022 to 17 per cent in 2025, and referenced the Periodic Labour Force Survey which placed Punjab among states with improved employment metrics.
Drawing a global analogy, he said India’s GDP was slightly higher than China’s at the time of Independence. “China put every hand to work and became the world’s factory. In the near future, China may surpass the US. We have the same capacity, but the right environment was missing. We are now correcting that,” he said.
The Cabinet Minister stressed that no government in the world could guarantee a job to every citizen, asserting that the real duty of a government was to create a conducive ecosystem for industry and employment. “We are not here to just give numbers. We are creating an atmosphere where every youth can stand on his own feet,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the Opposition’s demand for a white paper, he said, “The best, cheapest and most sustainable white paper is to ask the people directly. File an RTI or hold a public meeting. Let the people tell you if they got jobs.”
Mr. Aman Arora lashed out at the previous Congress government over its “Har Ghar Naukri” promise, calling it the “biggest fraud” on Punjab’s youth. He asserted that the AAP government had provided nearly 70,000 government jobs in a transparent manner, without any quid pro quo. He reiterated that the government’s sole objective was to make Punjab a model for ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and generate dignified, skill-based employment.
