UP's 9.5 Lakh Government Jobs: Where They Went, and What Youth Unemployment Shows
A look at where Uttar Pradesh's 9.5 lakh government jobs since 2017 have gone, and how youth unemployment in the state has moved over the same period.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election approaching, the BJP and the Samajwadi Party have sharpened their exchanges, moving from AI-generated videos aimed at each other to direct attacks over jobs and unemployment.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly questioned Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over unemployment and the shortage of work for young people. On Tuesday, he again attacked the government, arguing that the situation on the ground did not match its claims.
The Yogi government has countered by releasing its recruitment figures. The chief minister has said 9.5 lakh youths have secured government jobs since 2017, and that more than one lakh additional government jobs will be created in the next six months.
Where the jobs went
The largest share of the 9.5 lakh appointments has gone to the police and education sectors. Over 2.25 lakh people have been recruited into the police, while more than 1.5 lakh teachers and assistant teachers have been appointed. The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission and the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission together account for more than 94,000 appointments.
These four categories add up to more than 4.69 lakh appointments, leaving around 4.81 lakh spread across other government departments and services.
Unemployment trend
Government recruitment is only one part of the employment picture. Data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey shows that the unemployment rate among people aged 15-29 in Uttar Pradesh stood at 16.7 per cent in 2017-18. It declined to 9.1 per cent in 2023-24 and was 7.7 per cent in 2025.
At the national level, youth unemployment followed a similar downward path from a slightly higher base, falling from 17.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 9.9 per cent in 2025. That left Uttar Pradesh's youth unemployment rate 2.2 percentage points below the national average in 2025.