Centre, state government job hirings fell to 3-year low in FY21

Official payroll data suggests that central and state government hirings declined to a three-year low in FY21.

Government job hirings declined to the lowest level in three years in FY21 due to the widespread economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Payroll data from National Pension System (NPS), cited in a livemint.com report, suggests that central government job hirings were 27 per cent lower in FY21. Even states hired 20 per cent less in 2020-21, suggested data. But this does not come as a surprise as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic choked economic activity like never before. When the pandemic struck India in 2020, a nationwide lockdown was announced and economic activity came to a near standstill, with only some essential services allowed to function.