PROVISIONAL ESTIMATES OF SUBSCRIBERS AS PER EPFO RECORDS

Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective - Coverage and Sources of data

Employees' Provident Funds Scheme: September, 2017 to October, 2018
PROVISIONAL ESTIMATES OF SUBSCRIBERS AS PER EPFO RECORDS (IN NUMBERS) 

 Coverage and Sources of data

1. The Employees Provident Fund Scheme (EPF) is a mandatory savings scheme under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. It is managed under the aegis of Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). It covers every establishment in which 20 or more persons are employed (and certain other establishments which may be notified by the Central Government even if they employ less than 20 persons each), subject to certain conditions and exemptions as provided for in the Act. The pay ceiling is Rs.15000/- per month. Persons drawing pay above Rs. 15,000 are exempted or can be enrolled with some permission or on voluntary basis. The number of members subscribing to this scheme gives an idea of the level of employment in the formal sector. The data on subscribers-new members, exited members and those subscribers that re-started their subscription is sourced from EPFO. More details are available at www.epfindia.gov.in.

2. The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 is applicable to non-seasonal, manufacturing establishments (other than a mine subject to the operation of the Mines Act, 1952 (35 of 1952), or a railway running shed) employing 10 or more workers. For health and medical institutions, the threshold limit is 20 or more workers. ESI Scheme for India is an integrated social security scheme tailored to provide socio-economic protection to the workers in the organized sector and their dependents, in contingencies, such as Sickness, Maternity and Death or Disablement due to an employment injury or occupational hazard. The wage ceiling is Rs.21000/- per month. Beneficiaries are termed as Insured Persons (IP) and a new IP number can also arise due to change in employment. Employees may cease to pay contribution due to wage exceeding the statutory ceiling of Rs.21000/- per month or owing to resignation, death, retirement or dismissal. The number of subscribers of this scheme also gives an idea of the level of employment in the formal sector. Data is sourced from Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the information may have an element of duplication with EPF data and is thus not additive. More details are available at www.esic.in.

3. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PRFRDA)'s National Pension scheme (NPS) is an easily accessible, low cost, tax-efficient, flexible and portable retirement savings account. Under the NPS, the individual contributes to his retirement account and also his employer will co-contribute for the social security/welfare of the individual. NPS is designed on defined contribution basis wherein the subscriber contributes to his account, there is no defined benefit that would be available at the time of exit from the system and the accumulated wealth depends on the contributions made and the income generated from investment of such wealth. Any citizen of India, whether resident or non-resident, individuals who are aged between 18 - 60 years as on the date of submission of his/her application can subscribe to the scheme. From 1st January 2004, the central and the state governments have adopted this scheme for new employees except for armed forces. This was extended to other establishments from 2009 onwards. More details are available at www.pfrda.org.in.

Download the full details from Central Statistics office