Latest news with #Population
Forbes
6 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Empowering Youth Is The Key To A Sustainable Population Future
Population and sustainability World Population Day 2025 was on July 11th, and the conversation turned away from doomsday headlines of 'population collapse' and toward a deeper issue: the erosion of reproductive agency. According to the United Nations Population Fund, millions of people especially young people are unable to have the number of children they desire, not because of choice, but because of barriers far beyond their control. This link will give you an idea of the current population which is 8.2 billion. Population Concerns This year's theme, 'Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world,' reflects the reality of the largest-ever youth generation facing intersecting crises, economic insecurity, gender inequality, healthcare gaps, education deficits, climate disruption, and displacement. According to a UNFPA–YouGov survey conducted across 14 countries, many adults of reproductive age are unable to achieve the family size they desire due to a range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. Nearly 1 in 5 participants said concerns about the future such as climate change, environmental degradation, war, and pandemics had influenced them to have fewer children than they originally intended. Nearly 20% of respondents believed they would be unable to have their desired number of children, while 1 in 3 reported having experienced an unintended pregnancy. Financial barriers were a significant concern, with 39% stating that economic limitations had affected or would affect their ability to build their ideal family. In addition, Around 1 in 4 felt unable to pursue parenthood at their preferred time due to these compounded pressures. UNFPA also noted that young people, in particular, are grappling with deep anxieties about the future. Many fear they will face harsher social and economic realities than previous generations, and these concerns are already shaping their reproductive decisions. Fertility Rates, The Population And Sustainability Fertility rates have fallen globally, from 4.9 children per woman in the 1950s to just 2.3 by 2023, according to Our World in Data. Yet while governments fixate on the issue of declining birth rates, the real crisis is about control: the right to plan our families in dignity, safety, and sustainability. This issue is inseparable from the broader sustainability agenda. When young people are denied access to reproductive healthcare, quality education, or decent work, we also delay progress on the Sustainable Development Goals particularly those focused on gender equality, health, poverty, and climate resilience. The statistics show that young people today are not just thinking about having children, they are thinking about the kind of world they will grow up in. A world where there is clean air to breathe, stable access to food and water, fair economic systems, and energy that does not cost the planet. The lesson here is that giving young people the tools, rights, and opportunities to shape their future is essential. At its core, the population conversation is about sustainability.
Hans India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Promises of millions of jobs bound to fall flat in India
Tall claims are usually made by political parties that they would create millions of jobs, if they are voted to power. Alternatively, in the same vein they also promise unemployment insurance in case of any delay from their side as regards honouring the promise. Data about job creation in India expose the tall claims as there is no scope for generating employment in such a large proportion, implying that promises on this count are unfounded and far away from implementation. In order to facilitate a meeting between job seekers and job providers, the Union Government launched the 'National Career Service' portal on July 20, 2015. As per the portal' s dashboard, as of May 26 this year, around 47.51 lakh active employers are registered on the portal, though vacancies are only estimated at 9.59 lakh. As per the 2024-25 annual report of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, there are approximately 441.5 lakh job seekers. These statistics reveal the yawning gap between the number of jobs available and the number of job seekers. The figures are reinforced by the data made available by the Director General of Employment (DGE). It considers persons in the age-group of 15-29 years as youth, whose figure stood at 372.1 million in 2021. This many experts opine is a very low estimate. According to them, there are about 610 million are in the working age. Of this, about 330 million are engaged in the non-farm sector and the livelihood of about 280 million are from agriculture and allied activities. The DGE data will further substantiate the statistics. The agency conducts the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from time to time. As per its latest survey, the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) has gone up from 46.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 56 per cent, in addition to a significant rise in the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) from 49.8 per cent to 57.9 per cent during the same period. Hence, if we consider job creation only for youth, we would be erring in recognising the basic issue of joblessness. We need to pragmatically consider that about 56 per cent of the population is available and willing to work. In the light of the improvements in life expectancy, re-employment after retirement also needs to be taken into consideration while computing job creation figures. It is also claimed by many governments that as a major job creator, the IT sector is a panacea for unemployment. The fact of the matter is that these projections are totally different when it comes to ground realities. As per a NASSCOM report, the Indian IT sector, which was worth $ 254 billion in 2021-22 will rise to $ 350 billion by this year. By the end of Financial Year 2021-22, the IT industry employed about 5.1 million; and is able to add about 60,000 jobs annually. It is projected that this sector would be able to add about 1.25 lakh a year by the FY 2025-26. Most of the skill development training sessions organized for the youth are aimed at this sector alone. With facts remaining so, where is the question of creating employment by the millions? In the context of regular and permanent jobs turning scarce, the gig economy is emerging as an alternative employment source for many job seekers. The gig workforce in the country is estimated at around 10 million now and is expected to grow by about 30 per cent every year. Not surprising that companies like Swiggy, Zomato and Rapido have become household names. To what extent these activities would secure the future of the youth needs to be pondered. The Karnataka government recently stopped the operations of Rapido, which it contended was 'illegal' under the Motor Vehicles Act. Other States could follow suit as it involves legal validity. The Central and various State Governments often proclaim that they are releasing 'job calendars', charting out timelines for creating jobs. The NDA government at the Centre as assured to create two crore jobs every year. The State governments will not be found wanting on this front. As indicated earlier, the number of job seekers as per NCS portal is 4.42 crore. Had the promise of two crore jobs a year been fulfilled, by now the scourge of unemployment should have been wiped out by now; unemployment is a stark reality in the country. The first ever monthly job data published by the Ministry of Statistics and Project Implementation recorded an Unemployment Rate (UR) of 5.1 per cent in April. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), has put the UR at an average of 8.17 per cent for the period 2018 to 2025 (February). If we compute the number of unemployed persons from the existing data, the figure would be a staggering 4.13 crore as per DGE and 6.6 crore as per CMIE. These calculations are done based on the persons in the age group of 15-29 years only. If we consider the population in the age group of 15-59 years, which is considered realistic in the present context, the number of persons seeking employment would be significantly higher. Shying away these facts, the parties in power claim that the UR has come down drastically and the numbers have turned negligible. Ipso facto, joblessness is a reality and the claims of the political parties are a fallacy. (The writer is a former Vice-Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University)
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's economic outlook: PHDCCI says India will remain fastest growing among G7 peers, cites 61% trade surge
India will continue its robust economic growth trajectory and outpace major industrialised G7 countries, supported by strong domestic demand, sound macroeconomic fundamentals and a favourable demographic profile, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) said in a report. The report, titled Population, Productivity, Partnership: Rethinking G7-India Collaboration , highlights that with an average real GDP growth of over 8% from 2021 to 2024, India has consistently outperformed all G7 countries—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Citing IMF projections, the industry body said India is expected to maintain a growth rate above 6% on average through 2029. 'India's consistent real GDP growth makes it the key growth driver for the world economy,' said Hemant Jain, President, PHDCCI, according to ANI. He credited India's momentum to structural reforms such as GST, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, and expanding digital infrastructure like Aadhaar and UPI. In terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), India's share in global GDP has risen from 7% in 2020 to 8.3% in 2024 and is expected to exceed 9% by 2029. A key driver, is India's demographic edge—with over 68% of its population in the 15–64 age group—compared to ageing G7 populations where over 10% are above 65. By 2030, this share is expected to double in many G7 countries, leading to shrinking labour pools and increasing dependency burdens, ANI reported. India's merchandise trade with G7 nations has grown 61%, from $154 billion in FY21 to $248 billion in FY25, while maintaining a steady trade surplus. 'This reflects India's rising export competitiveness,' the report said. It also noted India's global leadership on initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, Mission LiFE, and the Global Biofuels Alliance. In technology and digital governance, the report said India's approach to AI, with initiatives like BHASHINI and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), showcases a human-centric and ethical model. PHDCCI said strategic cooperation with G7 on clean energy, climate finance, supply chain resilience, and healthcare will define future growth trajectories. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Unemployment in India: Jobless rate rises to 5.6% in May; women face higher unemployment at 5.8%
India's monthly unemployment rate climbed to 5.6% in May 2025, up from 5.1% in April, according to government data released on Monday. The rise can be largely attributed to seasonal factors and reduced rural employment after the end of the Rabi harvest season, the ministry of statistics and programme implementation said in its report. Last month, the ministry rolled out the first monthly edition of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), aiming to track the real-time unemployment proportion of unemployed people among those eligible for jobs, PTI reported. The unemployment rate among women remained slightly higher than that of men in May, at 5.8% compared to 5.6%, as per the latest data collected in the current weekly status. Age wise unemployment rate Young people aged 15–29 faced a particularly steep rise in joblessness, with the national rate for this group jumping from 13.8% in April to 15% in May. Among young women of the same age, including both urban and rural, the figure reached 16.3%, up from 14.4% in the previous month. Meanwhile joblessness among men aged between 15-29 years were recorded at 14.5% in May. Urban vs rural unemployment rate Urban and rural areas both experienced an uptick in unemployment. In urban areas, the rate rose to 17.9% in May from 17.2% a month ago. Rural areas too, saw an increase, from 12.3%, a month ago, reaching 13.7% in May. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Anvisa aprova solução para ajudar a reduzir gordura visceral da barriga em 7 dias! Você Mais Saudável Hoje Saiba Mais Undo In rural areas, jobs moved away from agriculture, dropping from 45.9% in April to 43.5% in May 2025, with more people finding work in the industrial and services sectors, the report said. This could be due to reduced agricultural activity following the end of the Rabi harvest season for both men and women, the report noted. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) also declined to 54.8% in May from 55.6% in April. In urban areas, the LFPR declined to 50.4% from 50.7%. Rural participation dropped more sharply, falling to 56.9% from 58%. Among women in rural areas, LFPR saw a major dip from 38.2% to 36.9%, largely due to fewer women working as casual labourers or unpaid helpers. LFPR among males aged 15 years and above also came down to 78.3% in May from 79% in April. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which measures the proportion of working individuals in the population, also declined. Nationally, it slipped to 51.7% in May from 52.8% in April. Female WPR fell more sharply to 31.3% from 32.5%. The May survey covered over 89,000 households and nearly 3.8 lakh individuals across both rural and urban India. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
CBC
13-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Nova Scotia's primary care waitlist down slightly
The Nova Scotia Health Authority is reporting a slight drop in the number of Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry. But the number still tops 91,000. The figure for June 1 is 91,423, a decrease of 51 from the May report. The latest numbers were issued on Friday. There were 2,208 people removed from the list from April 1 to May 1 because they were connected to a provider or confirmed by the health authority that they have a provider. The current percentage of the population on the registry is 8.6 per cent.
