New Delhi: The provisional payroll data of EPFO released recently highlights that EPFO has added 17.08 lakh net subscribers in the month of April, 2022. A year-on-year comparison of payroll data shows an increase of 4.32 lakh net subscribers in April, 2022 as compared to the net subscription in the month of April, 2021 last year.

Out of the total 17.08 lakh subscribers added during the month, around 9.23 lakh new members have come under the social security cover of EPF and MP Act, 1952 for the first time. Approximately 7.85 lakh net subscribers exited & re-joined the establishments covered under EPFO by changing their jobs within the establishments covered by EPFO and opted to retain membership under the Scheme, through transfer of funds rather than coming for final withdrawal of their PF accumulations.

The age-wise comparison of payroll data indicates that the age-group of 22-25 years has registered the highest number of net enrolments with 4.30 lakh additions during April, 2022. This is followed by the age-group of 29-35 years with a healthy addition of 3.74 lakh net additions during the month. In nutshell, these two age-groups constitute around 47.07 per cent net subscribers additions during the month.

The state-wise comparison of payroll figures highlights that the establishments covered in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Gujarat and Delhi to remain in lead by adding approximately 11.60 lakh net subscribers during the month, which is 67.91 per cent of total net payroll addition across all age groups.

The gender-wise analysis indicates that net female payroll addition is approximately 3.65 lakh during the month. The share of female enrolment is 21.38 per cent of the total net subscriber addition during the month of April, 2022 with an increase of 17,187 net enrolments over the previous month of March, 2022.

The classification of industry-wise payroll data indicates that mainly two categories -- ‘expert services’ (consisting of manpower agencies, private security agencies and small contractors, etc.,  and ‘trading-commercial establishments’ constitute 48.25 per cent of total subscriber addition during the month. EPFO provides provident fund, pension benefits to the members on their retirement and family pension and insurance benefits to their families in case of untimely death of the member. /BI/