India’s retirement fund body, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) recorded its highest-ever net payroll addition of 20.06 lakh members in May 2025, the Labour Ministry said on Monday. This marks the biggest increase since the EPFO began publishing payroll data in April 2018.
The record figure includes 9.42 lakh new employees, driven largely by youth in the 18–25 age group and a rise in rejoining members. Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya called the milestone “a testament to the growing strength of India’s formal employment landscape”.
He credited the surge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “visionary leadership” and the government’s commitment to pro-youth, pro-worker reforms.
The May figure is 4.79 per cent higher than April 2025 and 2.84 per cent more than the same month last year. New enrolments alone rose by 11.04 per cent compared to April, with 5.60 lakh new subscribers in the 18–25 age group.
This segment made up nearly 59.5 per cent of all new joiners in May, highlighting the continued trend of young first-time job seekers entering India’s organised workforce.
The net payroll addition for the 18–25 age group stood at 8.73 lakh, an increase of over 15 per cent from April and slightly higher than May 2024.
Around 16.11 lakh members who had exited EPFO earlier rejoined in May, switching jobs and choosing to transfer their accumulated savings rather than withdrawing them. This indicates a stronger sense of long-term financial security and social protection among the workforce.
Female participation showed an uptick as well. About 2.62 lakh new female subscribers joined EPFO in May, up 7.08 per cent from April and 5.84 per cent higher year-on-year.
The total net payroll addition for women stood at approximately 4.25 lakh, marking monthly growth of 7.54 per cent and annual growth of 15.04 per cent. Officials said this signals progress towards a more inclusive workforce.
Maharashtra topped the list of states, contributing 20.33 per cent of the total net payroll in May. Overall, the top five states and Union Territories accounted for nearly 60 per cent of the net additions, adding about 12.03 lakh members.
Other leading states included Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana — each adding more than 5 per cent of the total payroll.
Industry-wise figures showed robust growth in sectors like expert services, textiles, cleaning and sweeping, electrical and mechanical engineering, financing and garment making. Expert services alone accounted for nearly 45 per cent of total net additions, with manpower suppliers forming over half of that share.
The EPFO has been publishing payroll data since April 2018, covering the period from September 2017 onwards. The data reflects the number of members enrolling for the first time with Aadhaar-validated Universal Account Numbers (UANs), exits, and re-entries.
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