EPFO adds 15.41 lakh net subscribers in September 2021

EPFO‘s provisional payroll data, issued today, shows that the organisation recruited around 15.41 lakh net subscribers during the month of September 2021. The net subscriber additions for the month of September 2021 grew by 1.81 lakh as compared to the previous month of August 2021, when it was 13.60 lakh.\

A comparison of payroll data by age shows that the age range of 22-25 years had the most net enrolments with 4.12 lakh additions in September 2021. This is followed by the 18-21 age bracket, which has approximately 3.18 lakh net enrolments. This shows that a substantial number of first-time job searchers are entering the organised sector employment, accounting for around 47.39 percent of total net subscriber additions in September 2021.

For the first time, about 8.95 lakh new members have been enrolled under the provisions of the EPF & MP Act, 1952, out of a total of 15.41 lakh net subscribers. Around 6.46 lakh net subscribers left but rejoined EPFO by shifting occupations within the establishments covered by the EPF & MP Act, 1952, electing to retain their membership with EPFO by transferring their funds rather than opting for permanent withdrawal.

According to a state-by-state comparison of payroll figures, the establishments covered in the states of Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka are in the lead, adding approximately 9.41 lakh subscribers during the month, accounting for approximately 61 percent of total net payroll addition across all age groups.

According to gender study, the net share of female enrolment throughout the month is approximately 3.27 lakh. Month on month, the net addition of female subscribers increased by around 0.60 lakh in September 2021 compared to the previous month of August 2021, when 2.67 lakh net subscribers were added to the payroll. This is primarily due to fewer female members leaving during the month.

Payroll data from the industry show that the ‘expert services’ category (which includes manpower agencies, private security agencies, and small contractors, among others) accounts for 41.22 percent of total subscriber additions for the month. Aside from that, a rising trend in net payroll additions has been observed in industries such as trading and commercial establishments, engineering products, building and construction, textiles, garment manufacturing, hospitals, and financial establishments.

The payroll data is tentative because data generation is a continual process, much as updating personnel records is. As a result, past data is updated once a month. EPFO has begun releasing payroll statistics for the period September 2017 to the present since the month of May 2018.

EPFO is a social security agency in charge of offering a variety of social security benefits to members covered by the EPF & MP Act of 1952. EPFO confirms its objective of being an innovation-driven social security organisation committed to providing uninterrupted service to its stakeholders.