Nagaland recorded 69,896 registered jobseekers as of July 2026, with officials highlighting private-sector jobs, entrepreneurship and hospitality as key employment avenues.
Youth migration for work highlights need to expand employment avenues
KOHIMA — Nagaland had 69,896 registered jobseekers as of July 2026, according to the Directorate of Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, with the actual number of people seeking employment potentially higher as registration with employment exchanges is voluntary.
Regional Employment Officer T Yimlikhumzuk shared the figure during the second anniversary celebration of the Highlanders Hospitality Training Institute (HHTI), under the Highlanders Welfare Society (HWS), held at the Indian Red Cross Society Conference Hall, Kohima, on Saturday.
Yimlikhumzuk said the rising number of jobseekers was prompting more young people from the state to consider migrating outside Nagaland in search of employment opportunities.
He identified the private sector, self-employment and entrepreneurship as important avenues for addressing the state’s employment challenges.
Citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), he said Nagaland produces a large number of graduates every year, while opportunities in the public sector remain limited.
Not every graduate, he noted, could secure a government job, underscoring the need to explore employment opportunities beyond the public sector.
On private-sector employment, Yimlikhumzuk said the sector was not adequately regulated in Nagaland.
He pointed to the government’s regulatory framework for Private Placement Agencies (PPAs), aimed at regulating recruitment agencies, increasing employer participation and job opportunities, preventing illegal occupation and ensuring post-placement reporting.
Under the framework, he said, recruitment agencies are required to register with the government and cannot operate in Nagaland without registration.
Turning to the hospitality sector, Yimlikhumzuk described it as a promising and growing industry and said Nagaland was not behind in terms of potential.
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He encouraged young people to consider hospitality and other private-sector opportunities as viable career options.
Vezühü Keyho, president of the Chakhesang Public Organisation and proprietor of Capital College of Higher Education, said establishing and running an institution focused on skills and employment was not an easy task.
He, however, said it was encouraging to see young people taking up such ventures.
Keyho said the hospitality sector had considerable potential for young people and observed that skill development had gained increasing importance alongside conventional academic education.
He stressed that skills had become essential across professions and encouraged young people to pursue their chosen careers with diligence.
HHTI trains over 300 youth
Presenting the progress report of HHTI, its director Nühükholü Keyho said the institute was established on September 26, 2024, with a focus on practical training and employment-oriented skill development.
The institute’s first major initiative was an on-the-job training programme conducted in collaboration with BBQ Nation, through which 50 students were placed in Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru in 2024.
HHTI currently offers a two-month paid Hospitality Certification Course, a sponsored six-month On-the-Job Training (OJT) programme and a sponsored one-year Diploma Certification Programme.
The institute began its first paid course with four students in November 2024. Since then, it has trained and placed more than 100 candidates, while its 10th batch currently has 11 candidates.
Overall, Nühükholü said, HHTI has trained more than 300 young people and facilitated their placement across the country.