The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) added 21.04 lakh net members in July, marking a 5.55 per cent rise from the same month last year, according to official data. The growth reflects stronger hiring in the organised sector, with first-time job seekers in the 18–25 age group making up a majority of new enrolments.
Surge in young workforce participation
EPFO enrolled 9.79 lakh new subscribers in July. Of this, 5.98 lakh were in the 18–25 age group, accounting for 61.06 per cent of all fresh enrolments. Net payroll addition in this segment stood at 9.13 lakh, up 4.09 per cent year-on-year, reinforcing the trend of young workers dominating the formal job market.
Job switchers return to EPFO
A key driver of July’s growth was the rejoining of 16.43 lakh members who had exited earlier. This reflects a 12.12 per cent increase compared with July 2024. Most of these workers opted to transfer their savings instead of withdrawing them, thereby preserving long-term benefits and ensuring continued social security coverage.
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Women’s participation rises steadily
Female enrolments also showed traction, with 2.80 lakh new women members joining in July. The net addition of women stood at 4.42 lakh, marginally higher than last year at 0.17 per cent growth. Officials said the trend signals a gradual but steady shift towards greater workforce diversity.
Maharashtra leads state-wise additions
State-level data shows that the top five states contributed nearly 61 per cent of total net additions or around 12.80 lakh members. Maharashtra topped the chart with 20.47 per cent of July’s payroll growth, followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, each contributing over 5 per cent.
