National Employment Service covers all the States and Union Territories except Sikkim and functions within the framework of the Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959.

Day to day administration of the Employment Exchanges is with the State/UT Governments.

It has a network of 947 Employment Exchanges as on 31-8-2005.

As a part of administrative functioning, data are collected through 13 Employment Exchange Statistical Returns, each return covering a specific field of activity like registration, placement etc. with different periodicity.

As a part of Employment Market Information Programme data are collected from the Organised Sector (all public sector establishments and all Non-agricultural private sector establishments with 10 or more workers) on employment, vacancies, occupational and educational pattern of employees etc. in ER-I and ER-II return prescribed under the Act.

EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES (COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION OF VACANCIES) ACT, 1959.

Provides for compulsory notification of vacancies and submission of employment returns (ER-I and ER-II) by employers to the Employment Exchanges.

Applies to all establishments in the Public Sector and such establishments in the Private Sector as are engaged in non-agricultural activities and employing 25 or more workers.

Enforcement of the Act is the responsibility of the States and Union Territories.

Majority of the States/Union Territories have special enforcement machinery for this purpose.