The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) witnessed a record net payroll addition of 20.06 lakh members in May 2025, marking the highest addition since April 2018 when payroll data tracking began. This provisional data, shared by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya, highlights a significant expansion of India's formal employment sector.
The May 2025 figure represents a 4.79% increase in net payroll additions compared to April 2025. Furthermore, a year-on-year analysis reveals a 2.84% growth in net payroll additions compared to May 2024, indicating increased employment opportunities and a growing awareness of employee benefits, which has been bolstered by EPFO's outreach programs.
In May 2025, EPFO enrolled approximately 9.42 lakh new subscribers, with 2.62 lakh being female members. This represents an 11.04% increase over the new subscribers enrolled in April 2025. A notable demographic trend within this data is the dominance of the 18-25 age group, with 5.60 lakh new members falling within this bracket. This age group constitutes 59.48% of the total new subscribers added in May 2025. The net payroll addition for the 18-25 age group in May 2025 is approximately 8.73 lakh, reflecting a 15.10% increase from April 2025 and a 9.27% growth compared to May 2024.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attributed this achievement to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government's commitment to pro-youth and pro-worker reforms. He stated that the EPFO's record-high net member addition in May 2025 is a testament to the growing strength of India's formal employment landscape. The Minister also highlighted the government's focus on ease of doing business and economic empowerment as key factors driving this growth, reaffirming the commitment to building a robust and inclusive labor ecosystem.
In related news, Minister Mandaviya announced last month that EPFO had increased the auto-settlement limit for advance claims from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakhs. This enhancement aims to provide faster access to funds for EPFO members, especially during urgent needs and is expected to benefit lakhs of members. The EPFO initially introduced auto-settlement of advance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide quick financial assistance to members. The facility has since been expanded to cover advance claims for illness, education, marriage, and housing purposes. In fiscal year 2024-25, EPFO processed a record 2.34 crore advance claims through auto-settlement, marking a 161% increase compared to the 89.52 lakh claims processed in fiscal year 2023-24. Notably, 59% of all advance claims in 2024-25 were settled through the auto mode, compared to 31% in 2023-24.
