📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office, Government of India
Jobs & Career
Jammu & Kashmir unemployment nears 38%, ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti slams government
✍️ Greater Kashmir
🗓 11 Sep 2026, 03:36 PM
👁 34
The unemployment rate in Jammu & Kashmir has risen to almost 38%, prompting former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to accuse the state government of inaction.
Jammu and Kashmir's latest labour statistics show the unemployment rate hovering close to 38 percent, a level that officials say reflects a deepening job crisis in the region. The figure, drawn from recent government data, marks a significant rise compared with previous years and has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders.
Former chief minister and People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti responded to the numbers by stating that the state government has its "hands up" on the issue, implying a lack of decisive action to generate employment opportunities. Mufti highlighted the growing frustration among youth who struggle to find stable work despite having qualifications.
Analysts note that the high unemployment rate is compounded by limited industrial growth, seasonal agricultural dependence, and the lingering effects of political instability. The administration has pledged to launch skill‑development programmes and attract investment, but concrete outcomes remain to be seen.
The unemployment data is expected to influence upcoming policy discussions, with opposition parties demanding a more aggressive employment strategy ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Former chief minister and People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti responded to the numbers by stating that the state government has its "hands up" on the issue, implying a lack of decisive action to generate employment opportunities. Mufti highlighted the growing frustration among youth who struggle to find stable work despite having qualifications.
Analysts note that the high unemployment rate is compounded by limited industrial growth, seasonal agricultural dependence, and the lingering effects of political instability. The administration has pledged to launch skill‑development programmes and attract investment, but concrete outcomes remain to be seen.
The unemployment data is expected to influence upcoming policy discussions, with opposition parties demanding a more aggressive employment strategy ahead of the next electoral cycle.