EPFO Released Jan 2025 Payroll Data: Net Payroll Addition Rose ~12% YoY

On March 20, 2025, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) released provisional payroll data for January 2025, which indicates a net increase of 17.89 lakh members. This reflects a growth of 11.48% in net payroll additions against December 2024.

When comparing on a YoY basis, there was an 11.67% growth in net payroll additions from January 2024. This implies an increase in employment opportunities and heightened awareness of employee benefits, supported by EPFO’s outreach efforts.

New Subscribers

EPFO added approximately 8.23 lakh new subscribers in January 2025, marking a 1.87% growth compared to January 2024. This increase in new subscribers is attributed to growing employment opportunities, increased awareness of employee benefits, and EPFO’s effective outreach programs.

Age Group 18-25 Leads Payroll Additions

The 18-25 age group continues to dominate, with 4.70 lakh new subscribers from this age range, accounting for 57.07% of all new subscribers in January 2025. This group saw a 3.07% increase compared to January 2024. Additionally, the net payroll addition for this age group in January 2025 reached around 7.27 lakh, reflecting a 6.19% increase from December 2024 and an 8.15% growth from January 2024. This trend aligns with the broader pattern of youth, particularly first-time job seekers, joining the organized workforce.

Rejoined Members

The data reveals that around 15.03 lakh members exited and later rejoined EPFO, representing a substantial year-over-year growth of 23.55% compared to January 2024. These members transferred their accumulated funds instead of opting for final settlements, thereby securing their long-term financial well-being and continued social security coverage.

Growth in Female Membership 

The payroll data shows that 2.17 lakh new female subscribers were added in January 2025, reflecting a 6.01% year-over-year increase from January 2024. The net female payroll addition for the month stood at approximately 3.44 lakh, showing a 13.48% rise from December 2024 and a 13.58% increase from January 2024. This growth underscores a shift toward a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

State-wise Contribution

The top five states and Union Territories contributed to 59.98% of the total net payroll addition, amounting to around 10.73 lakh members. Maharashtra led with 22.77% of the net payroll addition. Other states and UTs, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, each contributed over 5% of the total net payroll.

Industry-wise Trends

Month-on-month comparisons of industry data show notable growth in net payroll additions in industries such as Expert Services, Financing Establishments, Other Sectors, Electrical/Mechanical/General Engineering Products, Road Motor Transport, Beedi Making, and Fruit & Vegetable Preservation. Expert services accounted for 39.86% of the total net payroll additions.

Conclusion

This payroll data is provisional as data generation is an ongoing process, with updates made regularly due to various factors such as new ECRs being filed or modified. Since April 2018, EPFO has been releasing payroll data from September 2017 onwards, including figures for first-time members joining via Aadhaar-validated Universal Account Numbers (UAN), exits from EPFO membership, and rejoined members.

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