EPFO Adds 16.10 Lakh Net Members In February 2025, Sees 3.99% YoY Growth

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) added 16.10 lakh net members in February 2025, reflecting a 3.99% year-on-year increase, as per the labour ministry’s latest payroll data. The data indicates strong momentum in formal job creation, particularly among youth and women.

Surge In New EPFO Subscribers

Around 7.39 lakh new subscribers were enrolled during February 2025. Of these, 57.71% belonged to the 18–25 age group, highlighting increased participation of young individuals in the formal workforce.

According to EPFO, this trend indicates that fresh job seekers are entering formal employment in significant numbers, continuing a pattern seen in recent months.

Read More: EPFO Rolls Out Aadhar Based Face Authentication for UAN Generation and Activation.

Youth Employment Continues To Strengthen

The net payroll addition in the 18–25 age group stood at 6.78 lakh for February, up 3.01% compared to the same period last year. This age group accounts for the majority of new EPFO members and represents first-time jobholders in the organised sector.

Increase In Job Switches And Re-Enrolment

Approximately 13.18 lakh individuals rejoined EPFO during the month after changing jobs. This marks an 11.85% increase over February 2024. These members opted to transfer their provident fund balances rather than withdraw them, maintaining uninterrupted social security coverage.

Higher Participation From Female Workers

The number of new female subscribers in February reached 2.08 lakh, showing a 1.26% increase year-on-year. Overall, net female payroll additions stood at 3.37 lakh, a 9.23% rise, signalling greater inclusion of women in formal employment.

This upward trend reflects progress toward a more gender-diverse workforce across multiple sectors.

State-Wise And Sector-Wise Trends

Maharashtra contributed the highest share of payroll additions at 20.9%. The top 5 states, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Haryana, together accounted for nearly 60% of total net additions.

Among industries, fish processing, clubs and associations, cleaning services, IT-related services, and airlines saw increased hiring activity. The expert services segment, which includes manpower suppliers, contractors, and security providers, accounted for the largest share at 41.72%.

What Is EPF?

The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) is a retirement savings scheme regulated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Under the scheme, both employers and employees contribute 12% of the employee’s basic salary.

EPF allows salaried employees to accumulate a retirement corpus, with interest and withdrawals enjoying tax benefits under specified conditions. Monthly payroll data from EPFO has been published since April 2018, based on Aadhaar-verified Universal Account Numbers (UANs).

Note: The data is provisional and subject to revisions.

Conclusion

The February 2025 payroll data from EPFO points to continued formal job growth, particularly among young individuals and women. Increased job switching with continued provident fund participation further highlights growing workforce stability and formalisation in India’s labour market.

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