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Over Half of Youth in Two Odisha Districts Are NEET

5:02 AM ETDeveloping

Business Desk

In Short: According to new district-level data released by the statistics ministry on Friday, more than half of the youth aged 15 to 29 in two districts of Odisha are neither employed nor in education or training, a status known as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training).

The data, based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2025, showed that Anugul had the highest share of youth in the country at 56.1% who were NEET, while Dhenkanal was third with 45.3%. The NEET status, according to the International Labour Organization, is a more reliable indicator of vulnerability than unemployment.

The all-India NEET rate among youngsters in 2025 was 25%, with 81% of districts in Bihar having a youth NEET rate of more than 25%. West Bengal followed at 75%, and Haryana and Andhra Pradesh tied at 70%. This NEET rate is often seen as a better indicator than the youth unemployment rate because the number of young NEETs is far higher than the number of unemployed youth.

The data also revealed that the district in India with the lowest share of youth not in employment, education, or training was Nabarangapur, also in Odisha, with a rate of just 4.1%. This stark contrast within the same state highlights the varying levels of youth integration into the workforce and educational systems.

The NEET rate is a way of measuring progress in effectively integrating youth into work and is considered a more comprehensive measure than the youth unemployment rate alone. It reflects the broader challenges faced by young people in accessing opportunities for employment, education, or training.

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• More than half the youth – those between the ages 15 and 29 years – in two districts of Odisha were neither employed nor getting trained or educated in 2025, according to new district-level data released by the statistics ministry on Friday.

Sources

• The Indian Expresslink