The formal job market showed robust growth in April 2025 as the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) added an impressive 19.14 lakh net members to its payroll. This represents a significant 31.31% increase from March 2025 while reflecting a modest 1.17% year-on-year growth compared to April 2024. The latest figures underscore expanding employment opportunities and increased awareness of EPFO benefits amid ongoing outreach initiatives by the Labour Ministry.
Strength in New Enrollments
The EPFO data for April reveals that 8.49 lakh new subscribers were enrolled, driven by rising job opportunities and effective mobilization strategies. Notably, the 18–25 age group dominated new registrations with 4.89 lakh new subscribers, accounting for about 57.67% of the total additions. In this critical age segment—often comprising first-time job seekers—the net payroll addition reached approximately 7.58 lakh, a 13.60% improvement over March 2025. These trends highlight the critical role of youth in the expansion of the organized workforce.
Surge in Female Participation
April’s statistics also demonstrate a marked increase in female workforce involvement. Around 2.45 lakh new female subscribers joined EPFO during the month—a 17.63% increase over the previous month—while the net female payroll addition climbed to 3.95 lakh, registering a substantial 35.24% month-on-month jump. This notable surge in female participation reflects broader shifts toward diversity and inclusion, signaling progressive engagement of women in the country’s formal employment sector.
Rejoining and Regional Performance
In addition to new enrollments, approximately 15.77 lakh members who had earlier exited the system rejoined EPFO in April 2025. These re-entries, which grew by 19.19% over March, underscore a broader trend of job switching and the preference for transferring accumulations rather than final settlements—thereby extending long-term social security benefits.
State-wise analysis indicates that the top five states and union territories contributed around 60.10% of the total net payroll additions. Notably, Maharashtra led the way by adding 21.12% of net new members, with other key contributors including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana—each adding more than 5% of the monthly total.
Looking Ahead
The upward trajectory in EPFO enrollments in April 2025, driven by strong youth and female participation, not only signifies robust formal job creation but also reinforces the growing social security coverage in India. These developments are vital for policymakers as they continue to implement programs encouraging formalization of employment and greater financial security for workers nationwide.
Stay tuned as we continue to track growth trends in India’s formal employment sector.
