EPFO Adds 14.58 Lakh Net Members in March 2025, Led by Youth Employment Surge

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has published its provisional payroll statistics for March 2025, showcasing a net addition of 14.58 lakh members. This reflects a 1.15% year-on-year growth over March 2024, indicating a consistent rise in formal employment and a growing understanding of social security benefits among the workforce.

New Subscriber Enrolment on the Rise

New EPFO Registrations Cross 7.54 Lakh

During March 2025, approximately 7.54 lakh new subscribers were enrolled — a 2.03% increase over February 2025 and 0.98% growth compared to March 2024. This increase is credited to improved job availability and heightened awareness of The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) benefits among workers entering the organized sector.

Young Workers Dominate New Registrations

18–25 Age Group Makes Up Nearly 59% of New Members

An important takeaway from the report is the sustained lead of the 18–25 age group, with approximately 4.45 lakh new members enrolling in March, making up nearly 59% of the total new subscribers.

This reflects a 4.21% increase over February 2025 and 4.73% year-over-year growth.
The net increase in payroll for this age group was around 6.68 lakh, representing a 6.49% rise when compared to March 2024.These figures emphasize the ongoing trend of young first-time job seekers entering the formal workforce.

Re-joiners Reflect Trust in EPFO System

13.23 Lakh Members Rejoined in March

Alongside new joiners, a notable 13.23 lakh individuals rejoined EPFO after previously exiting. This marks a 0.39% rise over February and a 12.17% increase year-on-year. Many of these returning members opted to transfer their provident fund savings instead of withdrawing, thus maintaining their connection with the social security framework and preserving long-term benefits.

Steady Rise in Female Participation

2.08 Lakh Women Join as New Members

In a positive step towards gender inclusion, around 2.08 lakh women enrolled as new EPFO members in March, a 0.18% rise over February and a 4.18% year-on-year increase. The overall net addition of women members reached 2.92 lakh, showing a 0.78% increase compared to March 2024. This underscores ongoing strides toward achieving greater gender balance within the formal workforce.

Regional Contributions: Maharashtra Tops List

Top Five States Contribute Nearly 60% of Additions

The top five performing states and union territories were responsible for 59.67% of the total net payroll addition — about 8.70 lakh members.
Maharashtra led with a 20.24% contribution, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana — each contributing more than 5%.

Sector-wise Growth: Services & Hospitality Drive Additions

EPFO’s data also highlighted industry-wise growth, with positive month-over-month numbers from sectors such as:

• Restaurants

• Cement

• General Insurance

• Canteens

• Forwarding and Travel Agencies

• Hotels

The expert services sector — covering manpower suppliers, contract labor, security services, etc. — accounted for a significant 45.59% of total net additions.

Data Disclaimer and Methodology

It is essential to note that the EPFO payroll data is provisional. Payroll generation is an ongoing process, and figures may be revised due to:

• Late return filings

• Record corrections

• Exit date adjustments

Since April 2018, EPFO has been sharing monthly payroll updates dating back to September 2017. The statistics are based on Aadhaar-validated Universal Account Numbers (UANs) and include net additions after considering new registrations, exits, and re-entries.

Conclusion

The provisional EPFO payroll data for March 2025 underlines India's growing formal workforce, driven largely by young professionals and supported by improving employment opportunities.

The addition of 14.58 lakh net members, especially from the 18–25 age group, indicates a strong influx of first-time job seekers. The return of over 13.23 lakh re-joining members further suggests growing trust in the social security ecosystem, as more individuals choose to preserve their provident fund benefits rather than withdraw them.

Women's participation also continues to improve steadily, with over 2.08 lakh new female members joining in March. From a regional standpoint, Maharashtra remains the top contributor, while industries like hospitality and expert services see robust growth. These insights confirm the ongoing formalization of the Indian labor market and the rising value employees place on long-term financial security.

As the EPFO continues to digitize and expand its reach, participation is likely to grow further in the months ahead.