New Delhi, Jul 31 (IANS): Bridging the gap between job seekers and employment opportunities across diverse sectors, the Central government's National Career Service (NCS) portal has surpassed 20 lakh active vacancies.

The current job opportunities available on the NCS Portal span several sectors, including finance and insurance (14.7 lakh), operations and support (1.08 lakh) and other service activities (0.75 lakh), informed the government

The jobs available also include manufacturing (0.71 lakh), transport and storage (0.59 lakh), IT and communication (0.58 lakh), education (0.43 lakh), wholesale and retail (0.25 lakh) and health (0.2 lakh), etc.

“This diverse range of vacancies reflects the broad spectrum of employment needs and industry demands across the country,” said the Ministry.

The current jobs suit candidates with educational backgrounds up to Class 12, ITI, and diploma holders.

The Ministry informed that specialised positions are also available for individuals with higher education or other expert qualifications.

The NCS portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment has become a key resource for job seekers, with vacancies mobilised through various channels including direct reporting by employers, job fairs, and API integration with several private job portals.

The Ministry said it is working towards upgrading the NCS portal to NCS 2.0 with advanced technology, including AI, to provide more benefits and features to job seekers and employers.

According to data tabled in Parliament this week, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 29 years in India has been declining steadily over the last five years.

It has come down from 17.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 10 per cent in 2023-24.

In the Budget 2024-25, the government announced a package of five schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore.