Visakhapatnam has emerged at the top of Andhra Pradesh's rankings as reported in the newly launched “Andhra Pradesh State Handbook of Youth Opportunity.” Released on Monday, the handbook evaluates all of the state’s 26 districts based on five key metrics: participation, opportunity, work, education, and readiness or skilling. Visakhapatnam led the pack with a YouthPOWER score of 55, according to the findings.
The handbook, compiled from nearly 180 indicators across 27 government databases, paints a complex picture. Despite Andhra Pradesh's robust educational infrastructure and the high number of youth pursuing higher education, the state struggles to convert these educational advantages into stable, well-paid jobs for its young people. The unemployment rate among youth is at 16.2%, and 46.4% of young people are participating in the labor force. Yet, a concerning 28.4% of young individuals are neither employed, studying, nor in training.
The report draws attention to two urgent issues: enhancing job opportunities for graduates and boosting female workforce participation. The labor force participation rate for young women is particularly low, standing at just 29.7%.
But there are some positive indicators. Child and adult nutrition metrics have improved, which is in stark contrast to a decline observed in the median state. Over the last eight years, there has been a noticeable migration of young workers from agriculture to sectors like services, trade, hospitality, and construction. Access to banking and digital connectivity for young women has expanded rapidly, outpacing all other surveyed states.
However, concerns about the quality and security of employment continue to linger. During the launch event at GITAM Deemed to be University, M. Sribharat, Visakhapatnam MP and president of the university, stressed the importance of synchronizing education, skilling, and industry needs. “Universities and skilling institutions must understand the needs of local industries, while employers should know where skilled talent is being nurtured. If we can build and constantly update that information system at the district level, we can tailor our teaching and training to align with the available opportunities, ” he asserted.
Ruchi Gupta, Executive Director of the Future of India Foundation, emphasized the role of elected officials as catalysts for change. The handbook notes that Visakhapatnam's labor market leans heavily towards formal employment, with 60% of workers holding regular salaried jobs—almost three times the rate of a typical district. The productivity of local enterprises, measured by value added per worker, is about ₹1.79 lakh, compared to ₹1.42 lakh in a typical district.
Visakhapatnam also stands out in education, with only 15% of young women aged 15 to 21 out of education, compared to 33% in a typical district. Furthermore, 41% of Class 9 students in the district meet grade-level standards in mathematics, surpassing the 35% benchmark elsewhere. These figures for a “typical district” are based on the median district value for each indicator, as defined in the handbook’s state-level comparisons.
