Tamil Nadu’s Silent Youth Unemployment Crisis: A Generation Left Behind

Tamil Nadu’s Silent Youth Unemployment Crisis: A Generation Left Behind

Tamil Nadu, long hailed as a beacon of industrial progress and educational achievement, now finds itself grappling with a silent emergency: rising unemployment, especially among its youth. Beneath the statistics lies a deeper tragedy — one of lost trust, unfulfilled promises, and growing disillusionment.

According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Tamil Nadu’s unemployment rate as of early 2024 stood at 5.2% — higher than the national average. But that number hides the true scale of the crisis. Under-employment, disguised unemployment, and mass migration of skilled workers to other states and abroad speak to a collapsing ecosystem of opportunity.

Broken Promises: The Myth of Job Creation

The ruling party touts major achievements, particularly through events like the 2024 Global Investors Meet (GIM). While the state claimed to attract ₹6.64 lakh crore in investment and promised 14.5 lakh jobs, the reality is sobering: by April 2024, only ₹13,000 crore had materialised, and a mere 46,000 jobs were created — just 3% of the promise.

Worse, many of these jobs are concentrated in MSMEs and lack security, career growth, or fair compensation. This vast gap between rhetoric and reality has eroded public confidence in government initiatives meant to empower youth.

A Better Track Record: Lessons from the Past

This wasn't always the case. During the AIADMK administration — particularly under the leadership of J. Jayalalithaa — job creation was embedded in the state’s vision for inclusive growth.

• In 2015, the Global Investors Meet attracted ₹2.42 lakh crore in commitments, 65% of which were realized, creating 2.5 lakh+ jobs.

• Tamil Nadu emerged as a global manufacturing hub — with companies like Foxconn, Dell, and Nokia setting up major operations and employing lakhs, especially women from rural and semi-urban areas.

• In 2017, Foxconn began assembling iPhones in Sriperumbudur, solidifying the state's role in Apple’s global supply chain.

  
  

Visionary Moves in the EV and Infrastructure Sectors

As Chief Minister (2017–2021), we built on this momentum:

• Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicle Policy (2019) targeted ₹50,000 crore in investment and 1.5 lakh jobs.

• Ather Energy and Ola Electric set up EV manufacturing units in Hosur, laying the foundation for Tamil Nadu’s EV leadership.

• The Chief Minister’s Road Development Programme alone generated over 1.1 lakh jobs.

• ‘Amma Skill Training Centres’, in collaboration with NSDC, certified 1.9 lakh youth in sectors like IT, healthcare, and logistics.

• Rural initiatives like the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project, with World Bank support, led to 26,000 micro-enterprises and 80,000 rural jobs.

Our approach was strategic, sector-specific, and inclusive — ensuring jobs were created where people lived, not forcing them to migrate.

DMK’s Missed Opportunities and Lack of Accountability

In contrast, the current government has failed to provide transparency or tangible results:

• The 2021 DMK manifesto promised 10 lakh jobs. Four years later, there’s no independent audit showing where, when, or how those jobs were created.

• Major public sector recruiters like Tangedco, TWAD Board, and TNSTC face hiring freezes.

• Public recruitment remains stagnant, leaving thousands of graduates in limbo.

As a result, skilled youth are leaving Tamil Nadu not out of ambition — but desperation. A Ministry of External Affairs report shows a 35% rise in outward migration of skilled Tamil workers in the past decade. Remittances from the Gulf are now lifelines for families who once had dreams of local opportunity.

A Call for Urgent Action: From Crisis to Opportunity

We are at a critical crossroads. The youth of Tamil Nadu ask one simple question:

“Can I find meaningful, stable work without leaving my home?”

Our answer must be an unequivocal yes.

We propose:

• A Job Creation Task Force with quarterly, district-level audits for transparency.

• Reviving stalled SIPCOT clusters, industrial corridors, and MSME parks with sector-specific targets.

• Aligning skilling programs with emerging sectors — EVs, semiconductors, AI, and green logistics — not outdated or saturated industries.

Because employment is not just an economic number. It is about dignity, security, and hope.

Conclusion: Reclaiming the Tamil Nadu Dream

We must not allow a generation to be lost to bureaucratic apathy or hollow promises. The youth of Tamil Nadu deserve a future in which they are not waiting, migrating, or despairing — but building, thriving, and leading.

It’s time to restore faith, opportunity, and accountability to the heart of Tamil Nadu’s economic policy.

Let us not waste another year. Let us begin today.