Hiding in labour data, a tale of economic distress
2 months ago

Hiding in labour data, a tale of economic distress

Hindustan Times  

The recent statements by the Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya rightly suggest that the labour force participation rate is up and the unemployment rate is down based on data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey. Not just that, this tide of apparent job creation has managed to push the female labour force participation rate up since 2017-18, reversing the earlier downward trends. Given that an increasing share of the workforce comprises single-worker “enterprise” or unpaid helpers in the family — with falling per-worker earnings and more people in the household working — it looks like economic distress is compelling an overwhelming majority of the workforce to do precisely what is being suggested, leaving aside the merits of the argument within the organised sector to which it was presumably directed at. Deteriorating livelihood conditions — on even a most elementary view of earnings — combined with the numbers of an overwhelming majority of the workforce working as either a single-worker enterprise or an unpaid helper in low-productivity jobs should be a source of concern not just from the lens of the living conditions of the poor.

India Growth Labour Economic Growth Indian Workforce Economic Work Earnings Workers Period Economic Distress  workers  labour  distress  workforce  earnings  work  tale  period  data  hiding  economic  falling  growth  201718

History of this topic

As Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini lists his govt’s feats, Congress stages walks out
1 week, 6 days ago

As Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini lists his govt’s feats, Congress stages walks out

Hindustan Times  

Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini on Thursday said the state’s unemployment rate stood at 4.7 % as per the October-December 2024 quarterly report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, released by the Central government. Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini, who was replying to the discussion on the Governor’s address in the state assembly on Thursday, said the national unemployment rate, …

Income levels of salaried class in India have stagnated in recent years
2 weeks ago

Income levels of salaried class in India have stagnated in recent years

The Hindu  

Last week, Niti Aayog member Arvind Virmani said in an interview that while employment is increasing, real wages for regular salaried jobs have not kept up with inflation over the last seven years. An analysis of the earnings data for salaried workers, casual labourers, and self-employed persons from Periodic Labour Force Survey reports shows that when adjusted for inflation, wages …

Urban unemployment eases to 6.4% in Q3 FY2025: NSSO
1 month, 1 week ago

Urban unemployment eases to 6.4% in Q3 FY2025: NSSO

Live Mint  

India’s urban unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and above declined to 6.4% in the October-December quarter, down from 6.5% in the year-ago period, according to data released by the National Sample Survey Office on Tuesday. The urban unemployment rate stood at 5.8% for men and 8.1% for women in the October-December 2024 quarter, according to the PLFS report released …

Unemployment rate dips to 6.4 pc in December quarter: Survey
1 month, 1 week ago

Unemployment rate dips to 6.4 pc in December quarter: Survey

Live Mint  

New Delhi, Feb 18 The unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above in urban areas dipped to 6.4 per cent in the October-December quarter, according to the National Sample Survey Survey. In the preceding July-September quarter of FY25, the rate of unemployment for people aged 15 years and above in urban areas was at the same level of …

Worker scarcity: Low-wage labour in India is crying out for a quantum leap in pay
1 month, 1 week ago

Worker scarcity: Low-wage labour in India is crying out for a quantum leap in pay

Live Mint  

India’s labour abundance, especially for low-paid jobs, has long been taken for granted. A problem of labour retention was also identified by Vimal Kejriwal, CEO of KEC International, who reportedly said that workers used to work at a site for almost a year before going on annual leave, but now often leave within a quarter and do not return. All …

Can the budget unlock labour market potential?
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Can the budget unlock labour market potential?

Hindustan Times  

India’s labour market has made notable strides in recent years, bolstered by a strong post-pandemic recovery and increased formalisation of employment. One of the primary concerns is the stagnation of salaried employment, which suggests weaker demand for skilled labour or slower expansion in the industrial and service sectors, both essential for long-term economic growth. The substantial ₹38,000 crore allocation to …

Takeaways from India’s budget that slashes income tax on the salaried middle class to spur growth
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Takeaways from India’s budget that slashes income tax on the salaried middle class to spur growth

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government presented an annual budget to Parliament on Saturday that focused on wooing the salaried middle class with tax cuts and spurring economic growth by boosting agriculture and manufacturing. In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is focused on boosting private investment to strengthen growth, increasing funding in …

Disproportionate growth in wage, corporate profit poses risk to economy by curbing demand: Economic Survey
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Disproportionate growth in wage, corporate profit poses risk to economy by curbing demand: Economic Survey

The Hindu  

Growth in corporate profits needs to be commensurate with wages to boost the economy, Economic Survey 2024-25 said, noting that sharp disparities between the two pose risk to the economy by curbing demand. Economic Survey mentions that the growing participation of women in entrepreneurship can propel the country towards higher levels of development by tapping into their latent potential to …

Global labour market recovery slow, India an exception: ILO report
2 months, 1 week ago

Global labour market recovery slow, India an exception: ILO report

The Hindu  

The global economy is slowing down, making it harder for labour markets to recover fully since the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, according to the International Labour Organization’s report, World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2025, released in Geneva on Thursday. Pointing to the relatively high growth rates in Southern Asia, the ILO report said they are driven by …

Stagnant wages amid fast economic growth: We need an Indian Enlightenment
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Stagnant wages amid fast economic growth: We need an Indian Enlightenment

Live Mint  

India’s economic growth story has been impressive. Wage stagnation amid rising inflation: The disparity between India’s economic growth and stagnant wages is stark. Chief economic advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran warns that low wages could stifle India’s long-term potential by weakening consumer demand and the quality of life for millions. This is not the template for a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ The paradox …

Employment increases 36 pc to 64.33 cr in last ten years: Mansukh Mandaviya
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Employment increases 36 pc to 64.33 cr in last ten years: Mansukh Mandaviya

Live Mint  

New Delhi, Jan 2 Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said employment in the country has increased by 36 per cent to 64.33 crore in 2023-24 from 47.15 crore in 2014-15, which shows improvement in job creation during NDA period. About the agriculture sector, the minister stated that employment declined by 16 per cent between 2004 to 2014 under …

Stop inane and diversionary debates, and focus on what really matters
3 months ago

Stop inane and diversionary debates, and focus on what really matters

New Indian Express  

I am neither an economist nor a financial expert, but I feel a perfect storm is brewing in the Indian economy. The worker-to-population ratio has declined from 38.6 per cent in 2011-12 to 37.3 per cent in a decade. Now, seeing that many fresh graduates, even from professional colleges, are starting their careers with salary packages that would have been …

Centre plans monthly data on job creation, unemployment, say officials
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Centre plans monthly data on job creation, unemployment, say officials

Hindustan Times  

Official data on job creation and unemployment will be available every month, likely from April next year, as the government has approved a proposal to increase the frequency of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the statistics ministry’s quarterly assessment of the labour market, two officials have said. Besides PLFS-based urban-jobs data on a three-monthly basis, the ministry currently also publishes …

Economic potential eroding rapidly while PM Modi generates hype: Congress
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Economic potential eroding rapidly while PM Modi generates hype: Congress

New Indian Express  

The Congress leader pointed out that the report uses Periodic Labour Force Survey data to show that overall real wage growth at the national level has been flat at 0.01% over the last five years. Citing Labour Bureau's Wage Rate Index, he said real wages for the labourers stagnated between 2014-2023 and in fact declined between 2019-2024. Ramesh further cited …

Shift in ground in the Indian labour market
4 months, 1 week ago

Shift in ground in the Indian labour market

Hindustan Times  

India’s unemployment rate has been falling for a long time now. The urban unemployment rate fell to its lowest ever level of 6.4% in this quarter despite a rise in the labour force participation rate. Is the Indian labour market finally turning a corner not just in quantitative but also qualitative terms? The latest PLFS report gives us the first …

Little change in India’s unemployment rate in urban areas: PLFS data
4 months, 1 week ago

Little change in India’s unemployment rate in urban areas: PLFS data

Hindustan Times  

India’s unemployment rate in urban areas during July-Sept 2024 stood at 6.4%, compared to 6.6% in the same period last year, according to the government’s quarterly periodic labour force survey released on Monday. According to the government’s Economic Survey 2023-24, India needs to create 7.85 million non-farm jobs every year until 2030 to absorb its growing labour force. The labour …

Urban labour market shows improvement as unemployment declines in September quarter
4 months, 1 week ago

Urban labour market shows improvement as unemployment declines in September quarter

Live Mint  

India's urban labour market demonstrated steady gains in July-September, with rising workforce participation and a slight dip in unemployment, according to recent data. Urban unemployment rate, a key indicator of joblessness, fell to 6.4% in July-September, down from 6.6% a year prior, as per data from the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation on Monday. The Labour Force Participation Rate …

Average Indian can buy less than they could 10 years ago: Congress
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Average Indian can buy less than they could 10 years ago: Congress

The Hindu  

The Congress on Sunday claimed that the average Indian can buy less today than they could ten years ago, saying that the cause for the slowdown in India’s consumption is the result of sustained income stagnation. Our statement on this unfortunate reality and its consequences for India's consumption story and long-term economic potential pic.twitter.com/qGEAbPSFbg — Jairam Ramesh November 10, 2024 …

Annual survey of industries shows growth in manufacturing sector
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Annual survey of industries shows growth in manufacturing sector

The Hindu  

India’s industrial sector is growing at a fast pace, said NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. 2022-23 witnessed a growth in industrial sector for majority of the important economic parameters like invested capital, input, output, GVA, employment and wages and even surpassed the pre-pandemic level in absolute value terms. When asked about the recent Periodic Labour Force Survey results that cited stagnation …

FY24 unemployment rate unchanged at 3.2%
6 months ago

FY24 unemployment rate unchanged at 3.2%

Hindustan Times  

India’s annual unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.2% in 2023-24, mirroring the previous year’s figure, despite an increase in the number of people working or looking for a job, according to the latest annual Periodic Labour Force Survey report released on Monday. FY24 unemployment rate unchanged at 3.2% {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} This marks the first time the headline unemployment …

Lack of industries in Bihar push youth to vie for government jobs
7 months ago

Lack of industries in Bihar push youth to vie for government jobs

The Hindu  

“Karo to sarkari naukari, nahi to becho tarkari”, says Ranjeet Kumar, an unemployed youth, who, along with two female companions, spend three hours at a community park in Rajendra Nagar in Patna every evening to prepare for government jobs. “Here in the park, there is a peaceful atmosphere to hold group discussions, which help us prepare better for the job,” …

The budget & jobs: Prescriptions without diagnosis
7 months ago

The budget & jobs: Prescriptions without diagnosis

New Indian Express  

The Union budget for 2024-25 has a grand target to provide employment to 4.1 crore young people in 5 years, which works out to 8.2 million a year. For example, it speaks of an “improved” situation “with the unemployment declining to 3.2 percent in 2022-23”, “rising youth and female participation in the workforce”, and a “bounce-back of the organised manufacturing …

Job Creation Seems Better Than Before but What About Quality and Sustainability?
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Job Creation Seems Better Than Before but What About Quality and Sustainability?

The Quint  

India's job market landscape presents a complex narrative, characterised by both positive indicators and underlying anxieties. The Reserve Bank of India recently published 'Measuring Productivity at the Industry Level-The India KLEMS Database,' providing data on employment trends across 27 key industries in India. The database, spanning FY 1980-81 to 2022-23 aims to provide critical data points on economic output, worker …

Economic Survey 2023-24: Economy needs to generate nearly 78.51 lakh jobs annually in the non-farm sector
8 months ago

Economic Survey 2023-24: Economy needs to generate nearly 78.51 lakh jobs annually in the non-farm sector

The Hindu  

India's workforce is nearly 56.5 crore, with more than 45% employed in agriculture, 11.4% in manufacturing, 28.9% in services, and 13.0% in construction, highlights the Economic Survey 2023-24 released by the finance ministry on July 22. It stated, “The female labour force participation rate has been rising for six years, from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 37% in 2022-23, driven mainly …

In search of jobs: On the challenge of employment generation
8 months, 1 week ago

In search of jobs: On the challenge of employment generation

The Hindu  

Employment generation will remain a major challenge before the Narendra Modi government in its third term, and the upcoming Union Budget is expected to take note of it. The ILO’s India Employment Report had also warned that the share of manufacturing employment was stagnant, at around 12%-14% and the slow transition of jobs from agriculture to non agriculture reversed due …

Centre questions Citigroup’s report on employment in India
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Centre questions Citigroup’s report on employment in India

The Hindu  

The Union Labour Ministry questioned the findings of a report prepared by the United States-based banking giant Citigroup and said the group failed to account for the “comprehensive and positive employment data” available from official sources such as the Periodic Labour Force Survey and the Reserve Bank of India’s capital, labour, energy, material and services data. The Citigroup’s report had …

Labour ministry rebuts Citigroup's research report on employment in India
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Labour ministry rebuts Citigroup's research report on employment in India

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The labour ministry on Monday rebutted a recent report by Citigroup which forecast that India will struggle to create sufficient employment opportunities even with a 7 per cent growth rate. The ministry in a statement said the report "fails to account for the comprehensive and positive employment data available from official sources such as Periodic Labour Force Survey …

Job creation, skill training should be new govt’s top priorities
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Job creation, skill training should be new govt’s top priorities

New Indian Express  

Joblessness and inflation were the key concerns of the electorate at the 2024 parliamentary elections. The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey, with numbers for the January-March 2024 quarter, shows unemployment—especially youth unemployment—and underemployment are indeed very high in a country where the labour force participation rate is just about 50 per cent. The PLFS shows that the unemployment rate in …

India’s silent youth crisis: College-educated but poorer than a farm hand
10 months, 1 week ago

India’s silent youth crisis: College-educated but poorer than a farm hand

Al Jazeera  

Two-thirds of India’s unemployed youth are educated — a fraction which has doubled since 2000. “My friends keep mocking me, saying even uneducated workers at corner shops earn more than I do,” Sawale says. “They are educated but have to toil just like we do.” A degree in vain Nearly 100km away, in Ralegaon town, this reality defines 27-year-old Sidhant …

Letters to The Editor — April 12, 2024
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Letters to The Editor — April 12, 2024

The Hindu  

Survey pre-poll findings The Hindu-CSDS-Lokniti Pre-poll Survey 2024 findings, that “jobs, inflation” are the key issues in the Lok Sabha elections are hardly surprising. However, what is surprising is that the Bharatiya Janata Party appears to be the least concerned about such issues and has been talking only in terms of ‘400 seats’ and ‘an action programme for the first …

What the labour report says about India’s youth
11 months, 2 weeks ago

What the labour report says about India’s youth

Hindustan Times  

Talking to women in rural India or young people in cities, one hears a constant lament about the lack of suitable paid work appropriate to their skills or training, which is also accessible, i.e., does not involve commuting for hours. The International Labour Organization -Institute of Human Development India Employment Report 2024 throws light on the complex nature of the …

Has the growth of India’s economy translated into domestic jobs?
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Has the growth of India’s economy translated into domestic jobs?

Live Mint  

Recently, two international organizations published their assessment of India’s labour market and employment situation. Over the 42 years between 1980-81 and 2021-22, non-farm employment in India grew at a compounded average annual growth rate of 3.16%. As stated in its report, the concern of the World Bank is that the employment ratio in South Asian economies, including India, has declined …

How to create more jobs for India’s educated youth | In Focus podcast
11 months, 3 weeks ago

How to create more jobs for India’s educated youth | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

The India Employment Report 2024, released recently by the International Labour Organisation, paints a grim picture. The news is particularly bad on two critical counts: joblessness is particularly high among the youth, and its worse for the educated youth. According to the report, India’s youth account for 83% of the unemployed workforce, with the share of the educated youth among …

Can India Ensure Living Wages at a Time When Workers Struggle for Minimum Wage?
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Can India Ensure Living Wages at a Time When Workers Struggle for Minimum Wage?

The Quint  

Recruitment happened through middlemen, the pay was based on piecework, and most workers preferred daily wages to avoid deductions for benefits from their already meagre income of Rs 300. Even though company hostels provided them with shelter, migrant workers were still classified as daily wage earners, receiving no benefits. Although these workers perform industrial work, qualifying them as organised sector …

Employment scenario in India grim, says ILO report
1 year ago

Employment scenario in India grim, says ILO report

The Hindu  

India’s youth account for almost 83% of the unemployed workforce and the share of youngsters with secondary or higher education in the total unemployed youth has almost doubled from 35.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022, as per the India Employment Report 2024 released by the International Labour Organisation and the Institute of Human Development here on Tuesday. Paradoxical improvements …

Unemployment rate in urban areas falls to 6.50 per cent in Q3
1 year, 1 month ago

Unemployment rate in urban areas falls to 6.50 per cent in Q3

India TV News  

The unemployment rate in urban areas of India for individuals aged 15 years and above dropped to 6.5 per cent during October–December 2023, down from 7.2 per cent in the same period last year, according to government data released on Monday. The Periodic Labour Force Survey, initiated in April 2017 for more frequent labour force data, reported that the unemployment …

India starts survey to assess women participation in workforce
1 year, 1 month ago

India starts survey to assess women participation in workforce

The Hindu  

The Union Ministries of Labour & Employment and Women & Child Development have started a joint survey on increasing women participation in the workforce. The survey was announced by Union Minister Smriti Irani in New Delhi at a function “Women in the Workforce for Viksit Bharat” on Tuesday. Latest PLFS data The latest results of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, …

What job data says about the economy
1 year, 3 months ago

What job data says about the economy

Hindustan Times  

The decade beginning in 2000 was one of the best as far as the Indian economy’s growth prospects were concerned. PREMIUM New Delhi, India - Feb. 16, 2018: Candidates apply for jobs at 'Job Fair' organized by Directorate of Employment, Delhi Government at Tyagraj Sports Complex in New Delhi, India, on Friday, February 16, 2018. However, headline employment numbers from …

India’s jobs crisis, the macroeconomic reasons
1 year, 3 months ago

India’s jobs crisis, the macroeconomic reasons

The Hindu  

There are many indications everywhere that India continues to be going through a jobs crisis. Employment growth rate is determined by the relative strength of two factors — the output growth rate and the labour productivity growth rate. If labour productivity growth rate does not change, higher output growth rate increases employment growth rate. On the other hand, if labour …

Himachal Pradesh Tops Unemployment Chart in July-Sept: Labour Survey
1 year, 3 months ago

Himachal Pradesh Tops Unemployment Chart in July-Sept: Labour Survey

News 18  

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed the highest overall unemployment rate of 33.9 per cent, followed by Rajasthan at 30.2 per cent, among the age group of 15 to 29 years in cities during July-September 2023, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey. The PLFS data of the National Sample Survey Office also revealed that unemployment among the 15-29 age group in …

The big threat to India’s demographic dividend
1 year, 3 months ago

The big threat to India’s demographic dividend

Live Mint  

Bengaluru: In a short press release, dated 13 October, the Ministry of Women and Child Development announced that the Female Labour Force Participation Rate for 2022-23 had improved significantly over the previous year by 4.2 percentage points to 37%. Non-obvious insights View Full Image One of the most under-reported trends is that agriculture, which is the least productive undertaking, is …

The week in 5 charts | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue, India’s GDP increases in Q2, Unemployment rate dips, and more
1 year, 3 months ago

The week in 5 charts | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue, India’s GDP increases in Q2, Unemployment rate dips, and more

The Hindu  

After 17-days, trapped workers rescued from the Uttarkashi tunnel On November 12, when portions of the Silkyara-Dandalgaon under-construction tunnel on the Brahmkhal-Yamunotri highway collapsed, 41 workers were trapped with no way out. GDP surges 7.6% in Q2, goes past RBI forecast India’s Gross Domestic Product grew at a higher-than-expected 7.6% in the July to September 2023 quarter, as per initial …

Unemployment rate in India is at its lowest level in six years: PM Modi
1 year, 5 months ago

Unemployment rate in India is at its lowest level in six years: PM Modi

The Hindu  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 12 said India's expanding economy is creating new possibilities for the youth and the unemployment rate in the country is at its lowest level in the last six years. In a video message to the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the prime minister noted that new possibilities are …

India's unemployment rate hits 6-year low at 3.2% in latest government data
1 year, 5 months ago

India's unemployment rate hits 6-year low at 3.2% in latest government data

India TV News  

India's unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and above has reached its lowest point in six years, registering at 3.2% during the period from July 2022 to June 2023, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2022-2023 released by the National Sample Survey Office. Rise in labour force participation The Labour Force Participation Rate in usual status for …

Labour and its discontents
1 year, 5 months ago

Labour and its discontents

Hindustan Times  

There is a widespread consensus that employment generation is India’s central economic challenge. At one level, it can be argued that failure to reduce the employment share of agriculture is India’s biggest labour market challenge. At another, it can also be argued that the quality of non-agricultural jobs, caste-based inequalities in labour markets and a big gender gap in employment …

Unemployment rate dips in India
1 year, 7 months ago

Unemployment rate dips in India

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: India’s overall unemployment rate fell in July as rural areas saw increased demand for agriculture labour with the onset of monsoon rains. Rural unemployment rate fell to 7.89%, from 8.73% in June, while urban unemployment rate ticked up, to 8.06% from 7.87% in the same period. While the agriculture sector saw activity with improved rains, demand for labour …

How much employment generation does the economy need? - The Hindu
1 year, 8 months ago

How much employment generation does the economy need? - The Hindu

The Hindu  

Economists associated with the government have been arguing that there is not much unemployment since enough employment is being generated. The current population increase will impact the labour force 15 years later when those born this year will potentially join the labour force. So, even though Mr. Debroy discounts circa 2003-04, children born then are precisely the ones who have …

What the PLFS numbers reveal
2 years, 1 month ago

What the PLFS numbers reveal

Hindustan Times  

Headline numbers from the 2022 Periodic Labour Force Survey released last week are a shot in the arm for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its narrative of effective governance, and will likely form a key prong of its re-election plank in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. One, the annual unemployment rate in 2021-22 of 4.1% was the lowest since the …

Unemployment rate among graduates declines to 13.4% between July 2022 and June 2023
2 years, 5 months ago

Unemployment rate among graduates declines to 13.4% between July 2022 and June 2023

The Hindu  

Unemployment rate among graduates in a the age group of 15 years and above has declined to 13.4% in 2022-23 from 14.9% in year ago, according to a government survey. As per the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey, conducted by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, the lowest unemployment rate among graduates aged 15 years and above witnessed in …

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