EPFO Adds 14.58 Lakh Members in March 2025, A Sign of Growing Jobs and Employee Awareness

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has shared its provisional payroll data for March 2025, showing encouraging signs of employment growth in India. According to the report, a net total of 14.58 lakh members were added in March. Compared to the same month last year (March 2024), this marks a 1.15% increase, highlighting improved job opportunities and a rise in employee awareness about social security benefits.

New Subscriber Growth Driven by Jobs and Awareness

In March 2025 alone, EPFO enrolled around 7.54 lakh new subscribers. This is 2.03% more than February 2025, and 0.98% higher compared to March 2024. This rise shows that more people are entering formal employment and are becoming aware of the importance of provident fund benefits. The EPFO’s outreach efforts are also playing a strong role in encouraging workers to join.

Young Workers Leading the Way

A key trend in the data is the high number of young people joining EPFO. Out of the new subscribers, 4.45 lakh were in the 18-25 age group, which is 58.94% of all new members added in March. This age group saw a 4.21% rise compared to February 2025 and a 4.73% increase from March 2024.

When we look at the total net payroll addition for this age group, it comes to about 6.68 lakh, which is 6.49% higher than last year. This shows that many of the new workers joining the formal job sector are young and often entering their first jobs.

Rejoining Members Also on the Rise

The data also shows that about 13.23 lakh people rejoined EPFO in March 2025. These members had previously exited the EPFO system but have now come back. This is 0.39% more than February 2025 and shows a strong 12.17% increase from March 2024.

This trend suggests that many workers are changing jobs but are choosing to stay within the EPFO system. Instead of withdrawing their funds, they are transferring their savings to their new employer. This is a positive step toward ensuring long-term financial security and maintaining social security benefits.

More Women Joining the Workforce

In March 2025, around 2.08 lakh new female subscribers joined EPFO. This marks a 0.18% increase over February 2025, and a 4.18% growth compared to March 2024. The net payroll addition for women in the same month stood at 2.92 lakh, which is 0.78% higher than the previous year.

This growth is a strong sign that more women are entering formal employment, contributing to a more inclusive and diverse workforce in India.

Top States Leading in Payroll Additions

When we look at state-wise data, the top five states and union territories accounted for about 59.67% of the total net payroll addition. These states added around 8.70 lakh members in March.

• Maharashtra led the list with 20.24% of the total net additions.
• Other major contributors include Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana—each adding more than 5% of the total net payroll.

Industries Showing Strong Job Growth

A comparison of payroll data by industry shows a rise in job additions in sectors such as:

• Restaurants
• Cement
• General Insurance
• Canteens
• Forwarding Agencies
• Travel Agencies
• Hotels

Interestingly, about 45.59% of the net payroll additions came from “expert services”, which include manpower supply, security services, contractors, and other similar activities.

Why the Data is Provisional

It’s important to note that this payroll data is provisional because employee records are continuously being updated. Changes may occur due to:

• Late submission of Electronic Challan-cum-Returns (ECRs) for past months
• Modifications in previously filed ECRs
• Updates to employee exit dates after initial payroll data release

Since April 2018, EPFO has been regularly publishing payroll data from September 2017 onwards. The monthly data captures:

• First-time EPFO enrollees (based on Aadhaar-verified Universal Account Number or UAN)
• Members who left EPFO coverage
• Members who exited earlier but later rejoined

All of this information helps EPFO calculate the net monthly payroll—a useful indicator of employment trends in India.