J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) received more than 26.22 lakh applications in the previous four years for the 26,687 positions it advertised, demonstrating the popularity and demand for government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.
Job seekers have submitted a total of 26,22,285 applications to the JKSSB from 2019 to 2022 for over 26,000 advertised positions, and selections have been made for 17,668 of those positions over the course of four years.
For 2026 announced positions, JKSSB got 1.30 lakh applications in 2019.
The hiring agency received 13.66 lakh applications for the 15,429 positions that were posted in 2020, 6.6 lakh applications for the 5729 positions in 2021, and 4.59 lakh applications for the 3503 positions in 2022.
The JKSSB has made a selection for 17,668 posts out of 26,687 advertised in four years (2019 to 2022). The JKSSB provided this information in reply to an RTI application filed by M M Shuja.
The JKSSB did not disclose the revenue it earned from the posts advertised in the same period. “However, with regard to the information sought on revenue generated for this time period, which had in the earlier reply also been held, it is to inform that this information cannot be divulged as per section 8(e) of the RTI Act, of 2005,” the reply stated.
Though the number of posts advertised and subsequently filed by recruitment agencies has witnessed a spurt, the number of applicants seeking government jobs in J&K is alarmingly increasing due to the absence of a vibrant private sector.
“Job stability is the main factor that makes a candidate wait to apply several times in order to get a government job. The second is lower pay scale in the private sector, which is also a significant factor pushing young people to pursue government jobs,” a senior government official said. “JKSSB has upgraded its online system as a result of which applicants are able to apply for jobs from the comfort of their homes, which was not the case earlier as they had to wait in long queues to file application forms.”
Meanwhile, as per the Economic Survey Report, the unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir has declined from 6.7 percent in 2019-20 to 5.2 percent in 2021-22.
“Labour markets have recovered post-COVID pandemic in both urban and rural areas of J&K. Unemployment rate on usual status in J&K has declined from 6.7 percent in 2019-20 to 5.2 percent in 2021-22. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in J&K is 61.5 percent in 2021-22 as against 56.3 percent in 2019-20, while as Worker Population Ratio (WPR) has increased to 58.3 percent in 2021-22 from 52.5 percent in 2019-20,” the report stated.
