According to government data, there were almost 2.7 lakh fewer jobs in central PSUs during the last ten years

A recent analysis of Public Enterprises Survey data from 2012–2013 to 2021–2022 showed that approximately 2.7 lakh fewer people were employed by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in India. The research found that employment fell from 17.3 lakh in March 2013 to 14.6 lakh in March 2022. Public Sector Units (PSUs), a few statutory businesses, and their subsidiaries that have more than 50% of their stock held by the federal government were all included in the study. The CPSEs had to deal with both the loss of jobs and the rise in contractual work. 248 of the 389 PSUs that were examined are actively in use.

In March 2013, contract workers made up 17% of the whole workforce, while daily or casual workers made up 2.5%. However, by 2022, the share of contract workers surged to 36% and the total proportion of daily or casual workers rose to 6.6%. Consequently, in March 2022, 42.5% of PSU employees were categorized as contractual or casual workers, up from 19% in March 2013.According to an investigation of specific companies, nearly 20,000 people were laid off by seven PSUs in the previous 10 years. More than 10,000 people were removed off the payrolls of 13 firms.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the firm on the list with the highest layoffs, fired almost 1.8 lakh employees. Over 30,000 jobs were lost over the time, according to reports from Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

PSUs that are losing money as well as prosperous PSUs are both included in the firms reporting job losses. Out of the major corporations, Air India has been privatized, while BSNL and MTNL were among the top 10 PSUs that were operating at a loss in 2021–2022. SAIL and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), two PSUs with large profit margins in 2021–2022, are also on the list. Data show that job losses incurred by central government entities are unrelated to employment decreases.

The Indian Oil Corporation, on the other hand, leads the list of PSUs that added the most new positions over the course of the previous ten years, creating approximately 80,000 new positions. Ten PSUs each produced more than 10,000 employment over the review period.