The Centre is formulating a new national employment policy to energise the job market in view of recent labour surveys painting a vulnerable picture of the employment situation, lack of pay parity and possible transition of roles due to the advent of technology.AI (artificial intelligence) is significantly disrupting the job market, with an estimated 12–18 million jobs potentially affected by 2025-2026, particularly targeting white-collar IT, BPO and retail sectors, say experts. They, however, point out that the disruption is driving massive demand for AI-skilled talent, with 1.25 million professionals needed by 2027.“The national employment policy is being designed to protect the interests of people working in all sectors. A need was felt to design a new employment policy to address the gaps and help people make informed choices regarding the jobs they take up. We will soon come out with draft guidelines and eventually formalise the policy,” an official of the labour ministry said.The development also comes close on the heels of the four new labour codes charted by the government last year, the rules of which are yet to be notified. Though the Ministry of Labour and Employment released draft labour policy Shram Shakti Niti-2025, a national employment policy catering to all sectors will be out for the first time.The move is particularly crucial with the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report for 2025 bringing to light instances of poor employment rates. The survey said the nominal wage growth for casual labourers (excluding public works) was stagnant for males and slow for females (5.4 per cent growth), indicating slow wage appreciation compared to self-employed and salaried categories. Male casual wages were stable at Rs 455, while female casual wages improved to Rs 315 in 2025.Agriculture remains the largest employer, but its share in employment decreased from 44.8 per cent in 2024 to 43 per cent in 2025, with a growing shift towards manufacturing and other services.The PLFS also brought out a concerning picture of unemployment in Haryana and Punjab, particularly when analysed across education levels. While the national unemployment rate under the current weekly status stood at 5.3 per cent, both states reported higher levels, indicating sustained pressure in their labour markets.