In a promising sign for India’s formal job market, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) recorded a net addition of 19.14 lakh members in April 2025, signaling robust momentum in organized sector employment.
The data, released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, reflects an encouraging trend—especially among the youth—towards formal workforce participation.
Young Indians Power Formal Sector Growth
According to the EPFO’s provisional payroll data, 8.49 lakh individuals enrolled as new members in April alone. That’s a 12.5% jump compared to March 2025. What’s more notable is that nearly 58% of these fresh entrants were aged between 18 to 25 years, underlining a growing interest among young Indians in stable, organized employment opportunities.
This shift suggests both rising awareness about financial security and stronger job creation across formal sectors, particularly for entry-level roles.
Regional Performance: Maharashtra Leads, Southern States Follow
The surge in EPFO registrations was not evenly spread across the country. In fact, over 60% of the net additions came from just a handful of states and union territories.
Maharashtra emerged as the top contributor, accounting for 21.1% of new member additions, followed closely by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Haryana. Other key regions including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana also posted solid numbers, reflecting a steady hiring climate across industrial and urban centers.
Manpower, Services, and Tech Sectors See Spike
From an industry perspective, the expert services category—which includes manpower suppliers, staffing agencies, and similar service providers—witnessed the highest influx of new EPFO members. Within this segment, manpower suppliers alone created 4.24 lakh new accounts in April.
Other sectors such as retail and trading, engineering, IT services, construction, and education also reported increased employment registrations, indicating broad-based hiring across multiple domains.
Data Still Evolving: EPFO Cautions on Final Numbers
While the April figures mark a strong start to FY 2025-26, EPFO has clarified that these are provisional numbers. Final figures may shift as ongoing updates are made to the Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) system. Revisions also occur due to member exit corrections and Aadhaar-based identification changes.
Even so, the steady rise in EPFO enrollments offers a compelling glimpse into India’s expanding formal economy—powered by youth, driven by services, and anchored in emerging job hubs.