India's Labour Economy
Making Sense of Recent Developments in the Indian Labour Market
The Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2022-23 reports the highest workforce participation rate and the lowest unemployment rate in the last six years. This has been the result of the entry of an increasing number of women into agriculture. Stagnant household incomes are pushing women into low-paid self-employment.
Unpaid Labour on the Rise, Muslims Not Looking For Work: What the PLFS Data Reveals
New Delhi: A significant number of individuals in India are engaging in self-employment or unpaid labour, shows the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, for July 2022 to June 2023. Moreover, the data highlights that, among the major religious groups, only Muslims have experienced a decline in their labour force participation rate (LFPR) and worker population ratio (WPR).
Rural workers’ earnings grew at quickest pace in 5 years in Q1: Survey
The monthly earnings of regular workers in rural areas grew sharply by 11.6% year-on-year in the April-June quarter of the current financial year, the fastest rate in at least five years. While this was revealed by the latest periodic labour force survey (PLFS) annual report, the unemployment rate in rural India in 2022-23 (July-June) was also the lowest in five years at 2.4%. This augurs well for rural consumption.
Precarious Jobs, Low Earnings, and Unpaid Work Haunt India’s Economy
The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey report says labour participation has increased and unemployment dipped. The fine print however captures a reality where unpaid labour, especially of women, has increased significantly, informal work has increased, agriculture is increasingly the mainstay of work and low-paying self-employment dominates the world of work.
Here's why India's war on informal labour is bad for its workers
India’s mission to bring its vast workforce into formal jobs is faltering, leaving a majority of nonfarm labour in unincorporated businesses…The most recent Periodic labour Force Survey shows that 74 per cent of nonfarm workers are in proprietorships and partnerships, officially classified as informal-sector enterprises. Between July 2020 and June 2021, when India battled multiple waves of Covid-19, the number was three percentage points lower. A reopened economy may have brought back livelihoods; it doesn’t appear to have made a dent into precarity.
In the Courts
[Employees Compensation Act] Employee Entitled To Interest On Medical Reimbursement From Date Of Claim U/S 4A: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has stated that an employee is entitled to claim interest on medical reimbursement under Section 4A of the Employees Compensation Act, 1923 from the date of making claim before the Compensation Commissioner and not from the date of the accident.
Women in the Workforce
Walking tall on the shop floor.
Across manufacturing sector, the number of women in blue-collar jobs is increasing, as companies move to be more gender inclusive
Women an important piece to achieve 8% growth: Barclays study
India needs women to account for more than half of the new jobs created by 2030 in order to achieve an 8% growth rate, according to a study by Barclays. The study suggests that female labor force participation would need to rise six percentage points to 43.4% for growth to reach 6-6.5%. The report also highlights the need to shift workers from agriculture to non-agriculture sectors, as well as the importance of job creation in sectors that enhance productivity. Upskilling and formalization are also identified as crucial for India's growth.
Travails of Fisherfolk
Goa's Fishermen Protest Fishing Ban Imposed During National Games
"Why should we forego our livelihood for the sake of National Games? Do politicians and government servants go without their salaries during National Games?" They were told that that their fishing canoes are to be pushed into invisibility for the smooth conduct of the National Games starting Oct 26. This “official order” by the Captain of Ports department was conveyed verbally. The officials asked the fishermen to relocate their canoes away from the beach for over 20 days.
News from States
First Generation Learners in Alipurduar Break Away From Traditional tea Jobs
Alipurduar, West Bengal: The tea district of Alipurduar is on the cusp of a transformation as the younger generation of tea worker families seeks alternative career opportunities. The recent success of five Scheduled Tribe students aged 20 and above in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) from Kalchini block has become a source of inspiration to many others.
Kerala government mulls on Police clearance from home state for migrant workers
KOCHI: In the wake of the increasing number of crimes involving migrant workers, the Kerala government is planning to make police clearance certificates (PCCs) from home states mandatory for their employment here. The police and the labour departments are planning to implement the decision by next year, sources said.
Over 160 migrant workers were named accused in murder cases between 2016 and October 2022 in the state, the source said. On average, 1,000 cases are being registered against migrant workers in the state every year.
GGDSD first college in Chandigarh to revise salaries of unaided teachers as per pay panel norms
The college has a strength of 50 unaided staff members teaching in various departments, 11 of whom are Associate Professors. Principal Ajay Sharma on Wednesday said that the teachers have been fighting for their rights since Jan 2016, ever since the 7th pay commission came into force. “This is their right and we cannot deny them their rights, as teachers are the pillars of an institution,” Sharma said.
Bihar announces advance payment of salaries for employees
To help employees meet their necessary requirements during the upcoming festivities of Durga Puja, the Bihar government is disbursing salaries to employees in advance. All the government officials and employees had begun receiving their October salaries starting 18 October, 2023.
Khattar govt says Haryana unemployment rate on decline. NSSO data shows it’s still 2nd highest in India
According to National Sample Survey Office data, Haryana had worst unemployment rate among large states (more than 1 cr population), second only to Kerala, in July 2022-June 2023 period.
Media Workers
Another Palestinian journalist in Gaza killed by Israeli strikes, toll of dead scribes at least 22
Voice of Al-Aqsa Radio’s presenter Duaa Sharaf and her child were killed Thursday morning after Israeli jets bombed her house in central Gaza.
Govt Vacancies
Delhi govt takes job steps for disabled aspirants
The Delhi Government has neglected to fill more than 2000 posts for those with disability in various grades in different agencies and departments. Responding to a writ petition by the National Federation of the Blind alleging inaction of the government in this regard, the Delhi High Court directed that a special recruitment drive be undertaken.
Bumper 13,000+ vacancies coming up in Delhi Police.
Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has given permission to fill up 13,013 vacancies in the junior ranks of Delhi Police by July 2024. Out of these, 3,521 vacancies are expected to be filled by December this year.
Layoffs and Hirings
Indian H1-B workers are the most unfairly treated group in the US BigTech layoffs
BigTech companies like Meta, Google and Amazon have cuts tens of thousands of jobs. But unsurprisingly, there is one type of worker that is by far the one that has been most unfairly treated by the recent turn of events, and that is the Indian worker who is on an H1-B work visa in America. Mass tech layoffs have left hundreds of workers living in the US on temporary H1-B visas with little time to find another job, without which they will have to leave the country.
Nokia to cut up to 14,000 jobs after sales drop 20%
The company is targeting between 800 million euros ($842 million) and 1.2 billion euros in cost savings by 2026 as it seeks to be on track to deliver its long-term comparable operating margin plan of at least 14% by 2026.
Millions of jobs coming up in EV sector, data & AI roles to get maximum hikes
The demand for workers with green skills is expected to move further up in the coming years. Estimates differ, with different industry leaders pegging job creation in the EV sector at different levels, but everyone seems united in the view that millions of new roles are getting created.
After 8 years, Karnataka transport corporations to begin recruitment
More than 13,000 vacancies will be filled up across the KSRTC, NWKRTC, BMTC and KKRTC.
Delhi govt may sack all 10,000 civil defence volunteers
NEW DELHI: Amid frequent protests demanding immediate release of their salaries, which have been withheld since April this year, the services of over 10,000 civil defence volunteers engaged in 40 departments of the Delhi government are likely to be terminated soon.
Benefits for Workers
India’s rank on Global Pension Index falls to 45 out of 47 countries
India can improve its score by improving minimum support and expanding coverage of pension arrangements to workers in the unorganised sector, a report said. The index comprises three sub-indices – adequacy, sustainability and integrity – to measure retirement income systems in 47 countries across over 50 indicators.
Farm News
Congress’s winning card in Chhattisgarh could be its paddy bonus scheme.
Farmers are grateful for the subsidy, which is the highest in the country. Even BJP workers say the scheme has been implemented without any bias. The standing joke in poll-bound Chhattisgarh is that the Congress government’s paddy procurement rates are so attractive that even former chief minister and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Raman Singh has been selling his produce to the state the last five years.
In Rajasthan’s cotton belt, empty mandis and an echo: ‘Will Congress or BJP compensate for my crop loss’
Almost every farmer in Ganganagar and Hanumangarh grows cotton; six lakh farmer families in just the two districts. This farmer’s crop – like that of many in Rajasthan’s two major cotton-growing districts off Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh – has been destroyed by the gulabi sundi or pink bollworm. The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan announced a Rs 1,125-crore relief package for cotton growers a couple of days before the poll schedule was made public by the Election Commission (EC).