EPFO Membership Surges In October: 13.41 Lakh Net Additions With Youth And Women In Lead

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation on Wednesday in its provisional payroll data for October reported a net addition of 13.41 lakh members. This surge highlights a positive trend in employment opportunities across the country, reflecting both job growth and increased awareness about employee benefits.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment's releases, EPFO enrolled approximately 7.50 lakh new members in October. This growth in new memberships is attributed to the expanding job market, heightened awareness about EPFO’s benefits, and the organisation's focused initiatives to engage new employees, according to the release.

A significant portion of the new memberships comes from the 18-25 age group, which represents 58.49% of the total new members added in October. This translates to 5.43 lakh individuals, mostly first-time job seekers, continuing the trend of younger people entering the formal workforce.

The data also reveals that around 12.90 lakh members who had previously exited EPFO have rejoined in October, marking a 16.23% increase compared to October last year. Many of these members have switched jobs and transferred their previous EPFO accumulations rather than opting for a final settlement, ensuring their long-term financial security.

There has been a notable increase in female membership. Approximately 2.09 lakh women joined EPFO in October, reflecting a 2.12% growth year-over-year. The overall net female member addition stood at 2.79 lakh, signalling a shift toward a more inclusive workforce.

Maharashtra led with 22.18% of the net additions, followed by other key states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi. Together, the top five states/UTs accounted for over 61% of the total net member additions.

Sector-wise, significant growth was seen in industries such as road transport, electronic media, and banking. The largest contribution came from expert services, including manpower suppliers and security services, which accounted for 42.29% of new additions.

This payroll data, although provisional, underscores the ongoing expansion of India's organized workforce, facilitated by EPFO’s strategic initiatives and effective social security outreach. The data is subject to regular updates as part of EPFO's continuous monitoring and recording process.