Chapter 6: Employment: Growth, Informalisation and Other Issues
Economics - Indian Economic Development • Class 11
Download PDFLoading PDF...
Chapter Analysis
Intermediate23 pages • EnglishQuick Summary
Chapter 6 of the Class 11 Economics textbook discusses employment in India, focusing on growth, informalisation, and related issues. The chapter highlights the disparities in job opportunities between rural and urban areas, the shift from self-employment to casual wage work, and the persistent prevalence of informal employment. It addresses the government's role in employment generation and examines the challenges associated with jobless growth in the context of India's economic development.
Key Topics
- •Employment growth trend
- •Informalisation of workforce
- •Role of government in employment
- •Casualisation and vulnerability
- •Gender disparities in employment
- •Disguised and seasonal unemployment
- •Service sector employment trend
- •Impact of economic reforms on employment
Learning Objectives
- ✓Understand basic employment concepts such as worker and workforce.
- ✓Recognize gender and sectoral disparities in employment.
- ✓Assess government initiatives in employment generation.
- ✓Identify challenges in the informal and formal employment sectors.
- ✓Analyze trends in employment growth relative to GDP.
- ✓Discuss issues related to unemployment and workforce informalisation.
Questions in Chapter
Who is a worker?
Page 110
Define worker-population ratio.
Page 110
Are the following workers — a beggar, a thief, a smuggler, a gambler? Why?
Page 110
Find the odd man out (i) owner of a saloon (ii) a cobbler (iii) a cashier in Mother Dairy or Milk Cooperative Society of your area (iv) a tuition master (v) transport operator (vi) construction worker.
Page 111
The newly emerging jobs are found mostly in the sector (service/manufacturing).
Page 111
An establishment with four hired workers is known as (formal/informal) sector establishment.
Page 111
Raj is going to school. When he is not in school, you will find him working in his farm. Can you consider him as a worker? Why?
Page 111
Compared to urban women, more rural women are found working. Why?
Page 111
Meena is a housewife. Besides taking care of household chores, she works in the cloth shop which is owned and operated by her husband. Can she be considered as a worker? Why?
Page 111
Find the odd man out (i) rickshaw puller who works under a rickshaw owner (ii) mason (iii) mechanic shop worker (iv) shoeshine boy.
Page 111
The following table shows distribution of workforce in India for the year 1972-73. Analyse it and give reasons for the nature of workforce distribution.
Page 111
The following table shows the population and worker population ratio for India in 1999-2000. Can you estimate the workforce (urban and total) for India?
Page 111
Additional Practice Questions
How does casualisation affect the overall employment landscape in India?
mediumAnswer: Casualisation makes workers more vulnerable due to lack of job security and benefits, despite potentially higher earnings for some. This shift can lead to economic instability and worsen social inequalities.
Discuss the concept of disguised unemployment using examples from rural India.
mediumAnswer: Disguised unemployment refers to workers who are employed but not in productive work. An example in rural India is where more people are working on farms than needed, meaning that removing some would not affect output.
Evaluate the impact of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 on rural employment.
mediumAnswer: The Act has provided employment opportunities and financial security to rural households, reducing poverty. However, its effectiveness varies by region due to implementation challenges.
How does the shift towards service sector jobs affect overall employment in India?
mediumAnswer: The shift towards the service sector has created new job opportunities, primarily in urban areas, emphasizing the need for education and skill development. However, this shift has also resulted in increased informal employment.
Why are female participation rates in the workforce significantly lower in urban areas compared to rural areas?
mediumAnswer: Cultural norms, familial responsibilities, and limited job opportunities especially in urban regions, where higher household incomes may discourage female employment, contribute to lower female workforce participation.