EPFO claims net addition of 20.06 lakh members in May

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recorded a net addition of 20.06 lakh members in May 2025. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in New Delhi on Monday (July 21, 2025) that it was the highest recorded addition since payroll data tracking began in April 2018. The Union Labour Ministry claimed that the new figure showed an increase of 4.79% in net payroll additions compared with April 2025.

Compared with May 2024, the increase in net payroll additions is 2.84%, and the Union government said it signified increased employment opportunities and heightened awareness of employee benefits, “bolstered by EPFO’s effective outreach initiatives”. Mr. Mandaviya said the increase was a testament to the growing strength of India’s formal employment landscape. “This historic achievement is the direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership and the government’s unwavering commitment to pro-youth, pro-worker reforms. Under the Prime Minister’s guidance, our focus on ease of doing business and economic empowerment is yielding tangible outcomes, and we remain dedicated to building a robust and inclusive labour ecosystem for aViksit Bharat,“ he said.

Of the net addition, around 9.42 lakh are first-time subscribers, which is an increase of 11.04% over April 2025. Of these new subscribers, 5.6 lakh (59.48%) are in the age group of 18-25. “New subscribers in the 18-25 age group added in the month show an increase of 14.53%, compared with April 2025,” the government said.

The net payroll addition for the age group 18-25 was approximately 8.73 lakh in May, reflecting an increase of 15.10% from April and a growth of 0.11% from May 2024. “This is in consonance with the earlier trend which indicates that most individuals joining the organised workforce are youth, primarily first-time job seekers,” the government added.

Approximately 16.11 lakh members, who had exited earlier, rejoined the EPFO in May. This figure shows a 2.12% increase over April. Around 2.62 lakh new female subscribers joined the EPFO in May. The net female payroll addition during the month stood at around 4.25 lakh, with a month-on-month increase of 7.54% compared with April and a significant year-on-year growth of 15.04% compared with May 2024.

“The growth in female member additions is indicative of a broader shift towards a more inclusive and diverse workforce,” the government said. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana individually added more than 5% of the total net payroll addition in the month.