The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has released its provisional payroll data for January 2025, indicating a net addition of 17.89 lakh members. This marks an 11.48% increase compared to December 2024, reflecting significant employment growth. On a year-on-year basis, net payroll additions grew by 11.67% compared to January 2024, showcasing expanding job opportunities and heightened awareness of employee benefits driven by EPFO’s outreach efforts.
In January 2025, approximately 8.23 lakh new subscribers were enrolled, representing a 1.87% growth from the previous year. The rise in new subscribers can be attributed to increased employment opportunities and the effectiveness of EPFO’s awareness campaigns. Notably, the 18-25 age group dominated the payroll additions, with 4.70 lakh new subscribers, making up 57.07% of the total new enrollments. This age group experienced a 3.07% year-on-year growth, aligning with the trend of young individuals entering the organized workforce, primarily as first-time job seekers.
Rejoining members also contributed significantly, with around 15.03 lakh individuals exiting and subsequently rejoining EPFO in January 2025. This figure marked a 23.55% increase from January 2024, indicating greater job mobility. Many of these members chose to transfer their EPF accumulations instead of withdrawing them, ensuring the continuity of their social security benefits.
Gender-wise analysis highlighted the increasing participation of women in the workforce. Approximately 2.17 lakh new female subscribers joined in January 2025, representing a 6.01% year-on-year growth. The net addition of female members reached around 3.44 lakh, reflecting a notable 13.48% increase from December 2024 and a 13.58% growth compared to January 2024. This positive trend suggests a growing emphasis on gender diversity in employment.
State-wise data showed that the top five states and Union Territories accounted for around 59.98% of the net payroll additions, contributing approximately 10.73 lakh members. Maharashtra led with 22.77% of the total additions, followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, each contributing over 5%.
On an industry level, significant payroll growth was observed in sectors such as expert services, financing establishments, electrical, mechanical, and general engineering products, road motor transport, beedi making, and fruit and vegetable preservation. Expert services, including manpower suppliers, security services, and contractors, accounted for around 39.86% of the total net payroll additions.
EPFO emphasized that the payroll data remains provisional as updates to employee records are ongoing. Adjustments are made monthly due to factors like late filings of Electronic Challan-cum-Returns (ECRs) and modifications to existing records. Since April 2018, EPFO has been publishing payroll data, covering the period from September 2017 onwards, tracking the number of new subscribers, members exiting, and those rejoining under its Aadhaar-validated Universal Account Number (UAN) system.