Page 90 - Sonbeel Utsab 2024

reduced growth in particular is the increasing phenomenon of job-loss and rising
unemployment. Notwithstanding, as mentioned before, an employment crisis has
been brewing within Indian economy as well as in Assam even before the spread of
COVID-19 in the country. Studies conducted based on NSSO data suggest that there
has been a decline in the rate of growth in employment in the country since 2004-05
i.e. from 2 percent per annum to 0.4 percent per annum in 2011-12. Post 2011-12, the
rate has become negative (-0.4 percent, during 2013-14 to 2015-16), i.e. instead of
new jobs being created, there has been decline in the number of existing jobs. Similar
negative trend of employment growth has also been indicated in the Periodic Labour
Force Survey (NSSO, 2017-18).

Quite naturally, the declining employment growth (relative to the growth of
labour force) increases the rate of unemployment. During 2013-14 and 2017-18 the
unemployment rate in India has increased from 3.4 percent to 6.1 percent (NSSO).
Likewise, increase in unemployment rate could also be seen in Assam during the
period as the rate has increased from 2.9 percent to 7.9 percent. Therefore, it is
evident that prior to COVID-19, the unemployment rate in the state was rising.

COVID-19 together with lockdown is, therefore, expected to further worsen
the employment-unemployment scenario in the state. The magnitude and the
processes of worsening, however, depend on several features of the labour market.
According to the PLFS (2017-18), the worker population ratio in Assam is 43.7
11
percent which gives roughly 1 crore workers in the state in total . The PLFS data also
reveal that 56.5 percent of the total workers are engaged as “self-employed”, while
25.1 percent are regular salary/ wage earners and 18.5 percent are casual workers. In
the rural areas these proportions are 57.5, 22.9 and 19.6 percent respectively. In
urban areas 47.8, 43.4 and 8.8 percent are engaged as self-employed, regular wage
earner and casual labour respectively.

The category of self-employed are overwhelmingly engaged in own account
enterprises (in rural areas 51 percent and in urban areas 45 percent) which includes
varieties of activities including agriculture, livestock and retail trade. From the PLFS
data it can be estimated that there are near 56 people in the state who are engaged as
self-employed. It is further estimated based on PLFS data that this category also
includes close to 20 lakh people self-employed in agriculture. Therefore, total
number of people self-employed in non-agricultural activities can be stated as 36
lakh. Evidently, impact of COVID-19 and subsequently lockdown is considerable
among this section of people. Impact on those self-employed in agriculture is also
significant but can be discussed separately. The self-employed in non-agriculture is
an umbrella category including small and medium entrepreneurs, petty and
household producers, retailers, traders, manufacturers, transporters and other service
providers. Out of 36 lakh of them about 80 percent are in the unorganised sector,
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