India
has been facing huge problem of unemployment and underemployment from years.
The state of joblessness for an able man and who is willing to work is known as
Unemployment. Unemployment is much higher in urban areas than in rural areas
and too women face the unemployment more.
Unemployment
can be voluntary or Involuntary according to some Economists and social
thinkers. A Voluntary unemployment is
the condition when a person is out of job just for his own desire due to
any reason. In Involuntary unemployment
a person is separated from remunerative work and devoid of wages
inspite of having all the capabilities.
Various problems like enormous increase in the population, age, vocational
unfitness and physical disabilities, technological and economic factors have
caused this problem. Other problems also contribute towards unemployment. Several
socio-economic problems like poverty, malnutrition, antisocial and criminal
activities, drug and substance abuse, etc. are
the result of ill effects of unemployment.
According to NSSO survey the overall unemployment rate was 7.3% in 1999–2000,
the unemployment rate in rural areas was 7.2% and that in urban areas was 7.7%.
Due to the regulation and many further obstacles almost 30% of workers are occasional
workers who work only when they get jobs and remain unpaid for the rest of the
time. Only 10% of the workforce is in regular employment.
Five year plans has introduced several employment generating schemes and
programs over the years but due to lack of proper implementation and
monitoring didn’t achieved the required targets. The Rural Employment Guarantee
program is a praiseworthy effort by UPA Government as it will provide
employment to rural people for a minimum hours even during natural calamities
like drought, floods etc.
Underemployment, Disguised
unemployment,
regional imbalances in the unemployment
scenario in
India
are another important factors. Unemployment in
India
has increased and is expected to increase further to 30% by
2020. The decline in job creation in agriculture has been identified as one of
the important reasons behind the increasing unemployment
in
India.
Explore more on
Indian Economy.