STATE OF WORKING INDIA REPORT 2026

NEWS: Azim Premji University released the State of Working India 2026 report on “Youth in the Labour Market”.

Key Findings of the Report

• Indiaà Nearing the peak of its demographic dividend. The working-age population share is projected to begin declining after 2030.
• Graduate Surplusà Between 2004 and 2023, India added roughly 5 million graduates annually, but only 2.8 million entered employment.
• Enrollment Rateà India’s tertiary enrollment rate stands at 28%, comparable to countries with similar per capita incomes.
• The share of young men in education fell from 38% in 2017 to 34% in 2024, as income pressures pushed many to enter the workforce.
• Graduate Unemploymentà Graduates accounted for 67% of unemployed youth aged 20-29 in 2023, up from 46% in 2017.
• Only 6.7% of male graduates secured a permanent salaried job within one year of graduating. Only 3.7% entered white-collar roles.
• Entry-level salaries for young male graduates have largely stagnated since 2011. Graduates earn about twice as much as non-graduates at entry.
• Out of 83 million jobs added in India between 2021-22 and 2023-24, nearly 40 million were in agriculture.