New Delhi: Unemployment rate in India rose to 4.9% in 2013-14, mainly on account of increase in joblessness in rural areas despite the government’s flagship employment scheme MGNREGA.
According to the latest survey report by Labour Bureau, a wing of Labour Ministry, the unemployment rate inched up to 4.9% at all India level last fiscal, from 4.7% in 2012-13.
On the positive side, the unemployment rate dropped in urban areas to 5.5% in 2013-14, from 5.7% in the previous fiscal. Meanwhile, although 93% of the households in rural areas benefited from MGNREGA, the unemployment rate increased to 4.7% last fiscal, compared to 4.4% a year ago.
Unemployment rate among men increased to 4.1% in 2013-14, from 4% in 2012-13. Among women, it increased to 7.7% last fiscal, from 7.2% in 2012-13.
However, the unemployment rate among women came down to 12.4% in urban areas, from 12.8% in 2012-13. The study revealed that the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is estimated to be 52.5% last fiscal, whereas the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) is estimated to be 49.9%.
As many as 49.5% people are estimated to be self employed, followed by 30.9% as casual labour, 16.5% wage/salary earners and the rest 3% as contract workers.
About 60.5 % of people aged 15 years and above, who were available for work for all the 12 months during the period, were able to get work throughout the year. In rural and urban sectors, this proportion was 53.2% and 78.5% respectively. The ‘Fourth Annual Employment & Unemployment Survey 2013-14’ has been conducted in all the states/UTs by covering all the districts. The field work was executed from January to July last year.
A total of 1,36,395 households were covered by the survey – 83,385 in rural areas and 53,010 in urban areas.
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