Kohima: A total of 71,034 applicants were registered with employment exchanges in Nagaland as of March 31, 2025, according to the Survey Report on Employment, Unemployment, Skill and Migration 2025 released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) on Friday.
The report was released on Friday at the DES Conference Hall in Kohima by Advisor for IT&C, Economics and Statistics and Evaluation, H. Sethrongkyu Sangtam, who attended the programme as the special guest.
Speaking at the event, Sangtam said the report would provide the state government with a strong basis for formulating effective policies to address unemployment. He stressed the importance of reliable district-level data for balanced regional development and the realization of the vision of a Viksit Nagaland.
He lauded the efforts of the department under Secretary Akunu S Meyase, IAS, and Director Neidilhou Keditsu, noting initiatives such as the Nagaland Sample Survey Unit established in 2024 to bridge data gaps.
He added that earlier reports such as the District Domestic Product (2022) and District Consumer Price Index (2023) had already informed policy decisions, alongside annual publications including the Nagaland Statistical Handbook, Price Indices, Village Level Per Capita Income, Disaster Statistics, Gender Statistics, Civil Registration, Nagaland Economic Survey and Indices of Industrial Production.
Highlighting the seriousness of unemployment in the state, Sangtam said that 71,034 applicants were registered with employment exchanges across Nagaland as of March 31, 2025. He called the new survey the first of its kind in the state and a critical basis for framing labour policies and harnessing the demographic dividend.
Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Advisor urged policymakers, researchers and administrators to utilize the survey findings. He also appealed to DES officials to continue building technical capacity to provide quality and timely data.
Director Neidilhou Keditsu presented the key findings of the survey, which covered all districts of Nagaland except Shamator, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Tseminyu and Meluri, whose household samples were merged with parent districts.
According to the report, the average household size in Nagaland is four members, with monthly expenditure averaging Rs 16,522. Residents reported an average of 11 years of formal schooling; 16 percent studied up to graduation, 4 percent were postgraduates, while 2 percent were illiterate. The survey found that 92 percent of respondents lacked technical or vocational training.
The labour force participation rate was recorded at 56 percent, with an employment rate of 83.92 percent and an unemployment rate of 16.07 percent. Wokha reported the highest labour force participation at 75 percent, while Tuensang had the lowest at 41 percent. Mon district recorded the highest employment rate at 91.08 percent, while Phek had the lowest at 75 percent and also the highest unemployment rate at 25 percent.
The survey reported that 56 percent of respondents were self-employed, 16 percent worked in the public sector and 13 percent in the private sector. It also found that 88 percent of respondents were not covered by social security benefits. Among the unemployed, 55 percent had remained jobless for more than three years, and 78 percent had no prior work experience. The main cause cited was the absence of employment opportunities, mentioned by 58 percent of respondents.
On migration trends, the report found that 55 percent of migrants had moved from rural to urban areas. It further stated that 81 percent had lived in their current settlement for over five years, while 27 percent had migrated for public sector employment. Before migration, 80 percent earned Rs 10,000 or less, whereas 33 percent reported current earnings between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. The survey also found that 63 percent of migrants owned immovable property in their new settlements, while 36 percent reported being happy in their present place of residence.
Secretary Akunu S Meyase, IAS, acknowledged the collective efforts of the department staff in compiling the survey data scientifically. She said the findings would be invaluable and timely for policymakers seeking to bring development to the people of Nagaland.
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