RURAL LABOUR ENQUIRY REPORT ON EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT OF RURAL LABOUR HOUSEHOLDS
(2004–05)
SUMMARY
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rural Labour Enquiries are conducted on a quin-quennial basis with a view to generate serial data on socio-economic characteristics of Rural Labour which constitute the weakest segment of the society. Ten all-India enquiries (two Agricultural Labour Enquiries i.e. 1950-51 and 1956-57 and eight Rural Labour Enquries i.e. 1963-65, 1974-75, 1977-78, 1983, 1987-88, 1993-94, 1999-2000 and 2004-05) have so far been conducted on rural/agricultural labour. The data collected during the course of these enquiries are processed by the Labour Bureau and separate reports on the following aspects are published for each round of the NSS:
i) General Characteristics of Rural Labour Households,
ii) Indebtedness among Rural Labour Households,
iii) Wages and Earnings of Rural Labour Households,
iv) Consumption Expenditure of Rural Labour Households, and
v) Employment and Un-employment of Rural Labour Households.
1.2. Data on consumption pattern helps in derivation of weighting diagram for updating the series of Consumer Price Index Numbers for agricultural and rural labourers.
1.3 The present report, first in the series, has been prepared in two volumes. Volume-I contains main findings on Employment and Un-employment of Rural Labour Households and Volume-II has detailed state-wise break-up of the data.
2 SCOPE AND METHOD OF ENQUIRY
2.1 The enquiry relates to all rural labour households. However, provision had been made to get separate estimates for agricultural labour households. The survey covered whole of Indian Union, except Leh & Kargil Districts of state of Jammu & Kashmir, interior villages of Nagaland and inaccessible villages of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
2.2 A stratified multi stage design had been adopted. The first stage selection was done from census villages and the second stage selection was done from the rural households. A total of 8128 villages in 28 states and 7 union territories were selected out of which only 7999 villages could be surveyed by covering 3,98,025 persons.
2.3 Period of survey was July, 2004 to June, 2005, spread over 4 sub rounds of three months duration each.
2.4 The entire data has been tabulated by 4 social groups i.e. scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes and all classes. These have also been further subdivided by age and sex.
3 NATURE AND EXTENT OF EMPLOYMENT
3.1 Labour time disposition of usually occupied men, women and child workers belonging to all the four classes of rural labour households showed that during the major part of the year 2004–05 they remained employed. Average annual number of days worked by men of ‘all classes’, ‘scheduled castes’, ‘scheduled tribes’ and ‘other backward classes’ were 291, 285, 302 and 290 days respectively and in case of women these were 250, 245, 256 and 249 days. The corresponding number of days worked by child workers were 286, 278, 278 and 293 days. Further, within all classes, men could work for 80 per cent of the days in the reference period, followed by child workers who remained engaged for 78 per cent of the days in the year. This percentage was however lowest for women who could find work only for 68 per cent of the days in the year.
(Statement: 3.1.1 – 3.1.4)
3.2 During the previous survey i.e.1999-2000, the average number of days worked by men of the four categories of social-group i.e. all classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes were 298, 294, 308 and 302 days respectively. In respect of women, these were 256, 249, 267 and 260 days respectively. In case of children, these figures were reported at 290, 286, 310 and 291 days respectively. The two sets of information reveal that during 2004–05 there was a marginal decrease in number of days worked over previous survey in respect of all the four classes of workers.
3.3 Among various modes of employment, wage paid employment was the most popular mode for workers of all rural labour households. The wage-paid employment accounted for 74 per cent of the total number of days worked by men, 71 per cent by women and 57 per cent by child workers of ‘all classes’ of rural labour households. Similarly, it accounted for 77 per cent of the total number of days worked both by men and women workers and 64 per cent by child workers belonging to scheduled castes rural labour households. The respective figures were 71 per cent, 67 per cent and 48 per cent for scheduled tribes rural labour households. In case of other backward classes, the respective figures were 73 per cent, 69 per cent and 55 per cent.
3.4 Another mode of employment which appeared to be significant was self-employment, especially among children. It accounted for 36 per cent, 31 per cent, 49 per cent and 36 per cent of the total number of days worked during the year by the child workers of all classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes respectively.
(Statement: 3.1.1 – 3.1.4)
3.5 Amongst workers in different occupations, male, female and child agricultural labourers belonging to all classes of rural labour households were comparatively engaged for larger number of days in wage employment when compared with their counterparts in “non-agriculture” and “other occupations”.
3.6 Details of wage-paid employment of men, women and child workers of Rural Labour Households revealed that agricultural labourers, besides being mainly employed in agricultural occupations, were also marginally engaged in non-agricultural pursuits. The 2004–05 data shows that men of ‘all classes’, ‘scheduled castes’, ‘scheduled tribes’ and ‘other backward classes’ households were engaged in agricultural labour occupations for 228, 229, 226 and 225 days respectively out of total number of wage-paid days of 239, 240, 241 and 235 days during the year. Similarly, women were in agricultural occupations for 199, 202, 191 and 195 days out of 203, 207, 199 and 198 days respectively. The child workers’ participation in agricultural occupations was 217, 237, 182 and 211 days out of total number of wage-paid days of 222, 237, 186 and 220 days respectively during the year 2004–05. Further, with in all classes, the participation of men, women and children in non-agricultural pursuits was of the order of 4.6 per cent, 1.9 per cent and 2.3 per cent of the respective total days of wage employment.
(Statement: 3.4.1.1.1 – 3.4.1.4.3)
3.7 Among specified agricultural operations, ‘harvesting’ provided the maximum days of wage employment to men workers belonging to all the four groups of households whereas weeding provided the maximum days of wage employment to women and child workers belonging to ‘all classes’, ‘scheduled castes’ and ‘other backward classes’ of rural labour households during 2004–05. The number of days of wage employment in harvesting operations for men of ‘all classes’, ‘scheduled castes’, ‘scheduled tribes’ & ‘other backward classes’ were 32, 36, 32 and 31 days and in weeding operation for women of ‘all classes’, ‘scheduled castes’ & ‘other backward classes’ were 39, 41 and 40 days and in case of child workers these were 31, 34 and 36 days respectively.
(Statement: 3.5.1.1 – 3.5.1.4)
3.8 Data in respect of annual days of self employment of usually occupied persons belonging to rural labour households reveals that in all classes taken together, children worked more in ‘occupations other than cultivation’ as they were engaged in this category for 59.61 percent of the total days of self employment . Further, women were almost equally engaged in ‘cultivation’ and in ‘occupations other than cultivation’ as they were engaged for 48.43 percent of days of self employment in ‘occupations other than cultivation’.
3.9 The nature of self-employment was mostly cultivation of owned or leased-in land by rural labour households. It accounted for 32 days out of a total of 51 days in respect of usually occupied men belonging to ‘all households’. Women and child workers belonging to same group of households worked in cultivation for 33 and 42 days out of total days of self employment of 64 and 104 respectively.
(Statement: 3.6.1.1.1 – 3.6.1.1.3)
4. INCIDENCE OF UNEMPLOYMENT
4.1 The data collected shows that the percentage of days not worked during the year 2004-05 increased over 1999-2000. The percentage of days not worked by men, women and child workers of ‘all classes’ of rural labour households in 2004–05 were 20.27, 31.51 and 21.64 percent as against 18.36, 29.86 and 20.55 percent respectively in 1999-2000. The respective figures of days not worked for scheduled castes households in 2004–05 were 80, 120 and 87 days as against 71, 116 and 79 days in 1999-2000. For scheduled tribe households these figures were 63, 109 and 87 in 2004–05 as against 57, 98 and 55 days in 1999-2000 and for other backward classes households the respective figures were 75, 116 and 72 days in 2004–05 as against 63, 105 and 74 days in 1999-2000.
4.2 An interesting feature of the duration of days not worked was that the major part of the days not worked in 2004–05 by usually occupied women belonging to rural labour households was due to their non availability for work, whereas for men and children it was due to non availability of work. The number of days not worked due to non-availability of work i.e. the duration of factual unemployment accounted for 62 per cent, 35 per cent and 52 per cent of the total number of days not worked respectively by men, women and child workers belonging to all classes of rural labour households. Similarly, it accounted for 66 per cent, 40 per cent and 61 per cent of the total number of days not worked by men, women and child workers belonging to scheduled castes rural labour households whereas the respective figures for scheduled tribes rural labour households were 51 per cent, 26 per cent and 39 per cent. In case of other backward classes rural labour households the respective figures were 64 per cent, 36 per cent and 53 per cent.
(Statement: 3.2.1 – 3.2.4)