'Unemployment at 45-year high' report not verified, still under process: NITI Aayog

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NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Thursday said that a news story claiming that unemployment rate in India stood at a 45-year high during 2017-18, was "not verified". 

The unemployment rate in India stood at a 45-year high during 2017-18, according to a report of the National Sample Survey (NSS) office which has not been published, over which two members of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) resigned in protest on Tuesday, news agency IANS reported.

The report, which the government had withheld from being released and accessed by a newspaper, said the unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent in 2017-18, post demonetisation, and was at its highest level since 1972-73 -- the period since when the jobs data is comparable. 

"Government did not release the data (on jobs) as it is still being processed. When the data is ready we will release it," Rajiv Kumar said today. 

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"Data collection method is different now, we are using a computer assisted personal interviewee in the new survey. It is not right to compare the two data sets, this data is not verified. It is not correct to use this report as final," the vice chairman clarified.