New Delhi: Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Ayog said that the economy is growing at more than 7% rate and this growth could not have been achieved without adequate job creation. Speaking to ET, on the sideline of Ph.D. Chambers of Commerce event. He said, "If West Bengal and Karnataka are saying that jobs have been created in their respective states, then how it is possible that at the national level there is no employment generation,"  

This statement of the Niti Ayog, CEO, came against the backdrop of a report by Azim Premji University showing a decline of employment opportunities and claimed that 5 million people have lost their jobs post demonetization, between 2016 to 2018. 

Recently, finance minister, Arun Jaitley had also stoutly defended the growth data saying an economy cannot be growing at 7-8% without creating jobs. Replying to the figure of 5 million, Amitabh Kant also said “no major social agitation indicates it hasn't been jobless growth.” 

The declined in the job opportunities has no direct relation with demonetization happened in November 2016, said, State of Working India-2019 (SWI) report. 

The debate on employment started after a leaked survey report of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) showed the unemployment rate of 6.1% for the year 2017-18, highest in the last 45 years. 

Amitabh Kant appreciated Modi government by saying that India will be amongst the top 25 countries in the ‘ease of doing business’ ranking of the World Bank.   

He also said, “Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), GST and RERA were major reforms undertaken by the Modi government and the real impact of these reforms will start reflecting in next two years."