Fill vacancies

Jammu and Kashmir has recorded an unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent in the July–September 2025 quarter, higher than the all-India average of 5.2 per cent. At this juncture, filling the vacant posts in different departments can prove a game-changer and being respite to the unemployed youth across the region. The overall unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir for persons aged 15 years and above stood at 6.1 per cent under the Current Weekly Status framework. The gap was sharper in urban areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where unemployment touched 10.6 per cent, compared with a rural unemployment rate of 5.1 per cent. At the all-India level, urban unemployment stood at 6.9 per cent, while rural unemployment was lower at 4.4 per cent. The gender-wise data highlighted deeper stress among women in Jammu and Kashmir’s labour market. Female unemployment in urban areas of the Union Territory was reported at a high 20.8 per cent, while the combined rural and urban female unemployment rate stood at 8.7 per cent. Male unemployment across rural and urban areas in Jammu and Kashmir was comparatively lower at 4.6 per cent, though still close to the national male average of 5.2 per cent. Such a situation is a litmus test for the people at the helm, who have made promises with the people with regard to providing the jobs. Therefore, the time has come for the government to start fresh with filling the vacancies across the departments, which would accommodate a huge number of unemployed youth. The government must identify all the vacancies and start a process to fill it without any further delay. By filling the vacancies, the burden within the department would reduce to a large extent and also pave a way for the youth to serve the people.