Congress attacks Centre over jobs crisis, says 'reels won't create employment'

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the Modi government's "flawed" economic and employment policies have plunged the entire country's job market into a "deep crisis" and said churning out reels would not be enough to please the youth as they need jobs.

The Opposition party claimed that the Modi government is engaged in headline management and the politics of distraction instead of finding solutions to the youth's employment crisis.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared on X screenshot of a media report which claimed that major domestic companies are now hiring fewer employees than before.

Congress cites hiring slowdown

The media report also claimed that the pace of new hiring among the country's large listed companies has slowed down; specifically, total new recruitment by 11 major companies within the Sensex-30 index dropped by 27 per cent during the 2025-26 fiscal year compared to 2023-24.

In his post in Hindi, Ramesh said, "What we have been saying repeatedly is proving to be true. The Modi government has inflicted deep damage on the country's economy, and its most severe fallout has been on the youth."

In the past year, a 27 percent decline in new jobs across 9 of the country's top 11 companies indicates that the nation is grappling with a serious employment crisis, he said on X.

'Job market in deep crisis', says Jairam Ramesh

Yet, instead of seeking solutions, this "arrogant" government is denying the very existence of the problem, Ramesh said.

"This news is just the tip of the iceberg. When large companies are in this state, one can easily imagine the dire situation of the MSME sector, which is bearing the brunt of the Modi government's misguided 'hum do, humare do' policies," the Congress leader said.

"The bitter truth is that the Modi government's flawed economic and employment policies have plunged the entire country's job market into a deep crisis," Ramesh said.

'Youth need jobs, not reels'

It is the country's misfortune that, instead of finding solutions to the youth's employment crisis, the Modi government is still engaged in headline management and the politics of distraction, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said.

"The country's youth are discerning. To please them, it won't be enough to churn out reels - they need jobs to be created," Ramesh said, taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent Instagram videos.