By: Santosh Mehrotra, University of Bath.
The employment rate, or the share of the working-age and youth population finding work, is falling in India.
Our own study, based on an Indian government agency data, however, shows, that this is not the case.
However, that is because of its definitions of what is ‘work’ and what is ‘employment” not being internationally compliant! Work without remuneration (or unpaid family labour, UFL) is called work by ILO, but Indian government treats it as employment. Whichever way one treats it, UFL is the worst form of work.
Since 2004–2005, the overall employment rate in India fell from 42 percent to 35 percent in 2017–2018 before…