12.84 Lakh New Members added in ESIC Scheme in January

According to official data released on Friday, approximately 12.84 lakh new members joined the ESIC-run social security scheme in January 2021, compared to 15.34 lakh the previous month, providing insight into formal sector employment in the country. The most recent data is included in a report issued by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

According to the most recent data, gross new enrolments with Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) were 10.78 lakh in April, 8.91 lakh in May, 10.68 lakh in June, 13.42 lakh in July, 13.47 lakh in August, 13.57 lakh in September, 12.47 lakh in October, and 10.44 lakh in November 2021.

Figures for June, July, and August show an increase in enrolment following states’ relaxation of COVID-induced restrictions following the country’s second wave of the pandemic, which struck in mid-April last year.

According to the NSO report, gross enrolment of new ESIC subscribers was 1.15 crore in 2020-21, up from 1.51 crore in 2019-20 and 1.49 crore in 2018-19.

Between September 2017 and March 2018, approximately 83.35 lakh new subscribers enrolled in the ESIC scheme.

According to the report, the total number of gross new ESIC enrolments from September 2017 to January 2022 was 6.21 crore.

The NSO report is based on payroll data from new subscribers to various social security schemes administered by ESIC, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

It has been releasing such data from these bodies since April 2018, beginning in September 2017.

According to the report, net new enrolments with EPFO, the retirement fund body, were 15.29 lakh in January 2022, up from 12.60 lakh in December 2021.

It revealed that between September 2017 and January 2022, approximately 5.08 crore (gross) new subscribers joined the Employees’ Provident Fund scheme.

According to the report, titled ‘Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective – January 2022,’ there are elements of overlap and the estimates are not additive because the number of subscribers is from various sources.

According to the NSO, the report provides different perspectives on the levels of employment in the formal sector and does not measure employment holistically.