Key Sectors Failing To Provide Employment

India is facing a decline in the total number of employed persons in the economy.

- Ellora De

According to a Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report, India’s total workforce - the sum of persons in employment - fell from 42 crore to 37.3 crore between 2011-12 and 2017-18. More women compared to men say it is difficult to get jobs, pointing to the persistent gender imbalances in the Indian labour market. Another matter of concern is that this decline in employment is happening with the rise in the education level. The Labour Bureau’s data on rural wages show the average annual growth during the last four years at just over 4.5% in nominal terms and a mere 0.5% in real terms after netting out inflation. A February 2018 survey shows that the unemployment rate among the educated is not only higher compared to the uneducated, it also increases with higher levels of education.