While the country's unemployment rate is falling, the quality of employment seems to have taken a hit. The pace of formalisation slowed in the five months of the current financial year (April-August) with more than half a million fewer formal jobs created in the period compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The payroll data showed that cumulatively 4.92 million new subscribers joined the social security organisation between April-August this year, compared to 5.51 million subscribers in the same period in the previous year, reflecting a 10.7 per cent decline in the number of new payrolls created.
Retirement fund body EPFO may lower the interest rate on deposits to 8.6 per cent for over 4.7 crore (47 million) subscribers for 2011-12 to match it with the rate of public provident fund (PPF) scheme.
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Last month, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation had brought down the rate of interest to 8.25 per cent for 2011-12 from 9.5 per cent provided in 2010-11, evoking sharp criticism within and outside Parliament.
The EPFO has about 5 crore (50 million) subscribers and the decision will have a bearing on their retirement fund.
Tomar had discussed the two proposals with trade unions on June 24 and assured that the government will take at least two weeks to take a decision.
'Barring a temporary blip where stocks fell on verdict day, we are back to all-time highs.'
Money to the tune of Rs 3,837 crore was lying unclaimed in the inoperative accounts of Employees Provident Fund.
Retirement fund body EPFO settled 1.21 crore subscriber claims, including withdrawal and transfer of provident fund, in 2013-14, an increase of 13 per cent over the previous year.
EPFO had started allotting UAN numbers in July 2014.
The EPFO on Friday deferred a decision on interest rate on provident fund deposits for 2010-11 following pressure from trade unions that want rates to be raised to 9.5-10.5 per cent from 8.5 per cent.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced income tax relief for the middle class, a Rs 2 lakh crore outlay for job creation schemes over the next five years and a spending splurge for states run by her party's new coalition partners as she unveiled the Modi 3.0 government's first budget after the general elections.
'They think quick fixes like internship in the private sector will help. 'In fact, internships have been going on for the last one decade.' 'In 2014-2015 itself, we had a ministry of skill development. None of the programmes have yielded results, still they are continuing with such schemes under some other name.' 'We don't see any seriousness on the part of the government to attack the problem of unemployment.'
The finance ministry appears to have ruled out subsidising Employees Provident Fund Organisation, despite the labour ministry struggling to bridge the Rs 927 crore (Rs 9.27 billion) deficit to pay 9.5 per cent interest to about Rs 4 crore (40 million
Detecting frauds worth about Rs 1 crore in claims settlement across the country, Employees Provident Fund Organisation on Wednesday decided to set up a fact finding team to investigate into the matter as part of efforts to prevent such misdemeanours.
Industrial Finance Corporation of India on Thursday said it has offered 9 per cent interest to the Employees Provident Fund Organisation and other retirement funds though it was much higher than the present market rate.
Mutual funds' equity buying remained elevated for the fifth consecutive month in December, taking the net equity purchase past Rs 1.7 trillion in 2023. The aggressive buying in December indicates that flows into equity funds are likely to have remained unaffected by the sharp run-up in the market last month. Mutual funds (MFs) bought equities worth Rs 23,000 crore last month (until December 28) compared to Rs 18,000 crore in November, shows data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
The Central Board of Trustees of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) today decided to retain the previous year's interest rate of 8.5 per cent for the current fiscal.
The the scheme has a subscriber base of 35 million.
It has initiated efforts to get full details only now.
The much-awaited minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000 and a higher wage ceiling of Rs 15,000 for social security schemes run by retirement fund manager EPFO will be implemented from September 1.
Retirement fund body EPFO has extended the date for filing applications to opt for a higher pension till June 26, 2023. In order to provide a larger window of opportunity and in order to enable all eligible persons to file their applications, the timeline for filing applications would now be till 26th June, 2023, according to a statement. "The EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) has made arrangements for obtaining applications for validation of option/joint option from pensioners/members as per the Supreme Court order on November 4, 2022," labour ministry said in a statement.
'We have essentially tried to set out an agenda for the next five years and it, in essence, represents the political commitment to that agenda.'
The issue has a AAA rating from India Ratings, the domestic services of Fitch, reflecting the unconditional guarantee extended by the government.
Six establishments -- including Tata Motors -- have been selected as the best employers by the Central Board of Trustees of Employees Provident Fund Organisation.
The government has approved 8.1 per cent rate of interest on employees' provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2021-22 -- an over four-decade low -- for about five crore subscribers of retirement fund body EPFO. Earlier in March this year, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had decided to lower the interest on provident fund deposits for 2021-22 to 8.1 per cent from 8.5 per cent provided in 2020-21. According to an EPFO office order issued on Friday and reviewed by PTI, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has conveyed approval of the central government to credit 8.1 per cent rate of interest for 2021-22 to each member of the EPF scheme.
Retirement fund body EPFO's trustees on February 5 will decide on amending its scheme to provide a minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000, which will immediately benefit its 27 lakh pensioners.
Retirement fund body EPFO on Wednesday said its corpus of about Rs 3.5 lakh crore will now be managed only by one of the existing fund manger, SBI, for a three month period ending June 30 as an interim arrangement.
The 8.1 per cent interest rate was recommended by the Central Board of Trustees after its meeting in Guwahati under the chairmanship of Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, a labour ministry press statement said.
Companies with 10 employees may also come under EPF Act.
At present, someone short of the retirement age can completely withdraw the PF money.
Six states out of 22 major states and Union Territories (UTs) generated fewer formal jobs for the youth in the September quarter than they did in the corresponding quarter a year ago, a Business Standard analysis of the data released by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) shows. States like Punjab (-12.4 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (-10.3 per cent), Jharkhand (- 7.2 per cent), Assam (-3.7 per cent), Gujarat (-3.4 per cent) and Rajasthan (-.1.1 per cent) saw further decline in the number of net new subscribers in the second quarter (Q2) of FY23 compared to the last year. The analysis did not include northeastern states, except for Assam. This is crucial as the subscribers in the 18-28 age group are seen as first-timers in the labour market, thus reflecting the robustness of the job market.
Subscribers of retirement fund manager EPFO, settling their final claims before the new rate is announced for the current fiscal, will get the existing 9.5 per cent interest on their deposits.
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