EPFO Adds 16.10 Lakh Net Members In February; Youth & Female Participation On The Rise

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) added 16.10 lakh net members in February 2025, marking a 3.99 per cent increase over the same period last year, according to provisional payroll data released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Of these, around 7.39 lakh were new subscribers, underscoring the impact of rising job opportunities and the success of EPFO’s ongoing awareness and outreach campaigns.

The ministry highlighted this growth as a positive indicator of the expanding organised sector workforce and increased understanding of social security benefits among employees.

Youth Continue To Lead The Workforce

The 18–25 age group continued to dominate enrolments, accounting for approximately 4.27 lakh new subscribers-representing 57.71 per cent of the total new additions for the month.

The trend remains consistent with previous patterns, indicating a steady influx of young, first-time job seekers into the formal employment landscape.

Net payroll addition within this age group was about 6.78 lakh, showing a 3.01 per cent growth compared to February 2024.

The EPFO also recorded around 13.18 lakh members who had exited earlier but re-joined in February 2025-an impressive 11.85 per cent year-on-year growth.

These individuals, who shifted jobs but chose to transfer rather than withdraw their provident fund balances, demonstrated a strong commitment to long-term financial planning and social security.

Rising Female Participation

The month saw a noteworthy rise in female participation, with 2.08 lakh women joining as new subscribers-a 1.26 per cent increase compared to February 2024.

Net female member addition stood at 3.37 lakh, reflecting a robust 9.23 per cent year-on-year growth.

This shift signals a move towards a more inclusive and gender-diverse workforce.

State & Industry Trends

State-wise analysis showed that the top five states and union territories contributed around 59.75 per cent of the net payroll additions, totalling approximately 9.62 lakh members.

Maharashtra led the chart, accounting for 20.90 per cent of the month’s net additions.

States including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh also contributed significantly, each adding over 5 per cent to the total.

Industry-wise, payroll growth was observed across diverse sectors such as fish processing, cleaning and sweeping services, computer-related businesses, and aviation.

Expert services, covering manpower suppliers, contractors, and security agencies accounted for 41.72 per cent of the overall additions.

The EPFO continues to update payroll data as employee records evolve.

Since April 2018, EPFO has been publishing monthly payroll data covering the period from September 2017 onwards.

The figures reflect members joining for the first time via Aadhaar-validated UANs, exits, and re-entries-giving a comprehensive view of workforce trends in the organised sector.

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