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Aims and Objectives: The research aims to assess the interaction between urban youth and the labor market within the current Indian employment-unemployment landscape. It will provide assessments of four categories of youth: those who are currently students, those looking for jobs, those already employed, and those not in employment, education, or training (NEET).

Methodology: The study was conducted in the geographical regions of Delhi and Ranchi, with the initial survey taking place in 2010 and a resurvey in 2019-2020. The initial survey included 2,000 households in Delhi and 1,000 households in Ranchi, with the resurvey covering roughly the same number of households, including all previously surveyed ones. A job search module was administered among youth aged 15 to 29 in the sample households, resulting in interviews with 1,245 youth in Delhi and 675 youth in Ranchi. Additionally, 6 case studies were conducted in each city, providing qualitative information through in-depth interviews.

Findings:

• Marginalized Social Groups: Youth from low-income households and SC/ST/OBC backgrounds often cannot pursue higher education due to high course fees and financial obligations to support their families, particularly affecting girls.
• Self-Financed Training: Despite government skill development schemes, many youth self-finance their training, hoping it will lead to salaried jobs.
• Need for Placement and Loans: There is an urgent need to link skill development programs with industries and provide subsidized loans for self-employment.
• Educated Job Seekers: More educated youth (secondary education and above) are the majority of job seekers but face a lack of suitable jobs or necessary skills. There is a need for more productive jobs and appropriate skill training matching market demand.
• Local Job Availability: Local job scarcity forces trainees to accept distant placements with low salaries, leading many to either not join or leave the job soon after.
• NEET Category: Females make up 52.8% of the NEET category, primarily due to family and childcare responsibilities and reluctance among families/husbands to allow women to work. Those interested in working struggle to find full-time employment near their homes.