Moa Jamir
State Govt needs to get serious in dealing with mounting unemployment
Unemployment has been a perennial challenge in Nagaland due to a combination of various political, geographical and socio-economic factors. The latest annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) covering the period from July 2020 to June 2021 attests that the problem is mounting in recent years.
As per the report, Nagaland retained the highest unemployment rate in India at 19.2%. During the same period, the all-India data rate was just 4.2%, clearly illustrating the sheer magnitude of the unemployment scenario in the state. In other words, 19.2% of the adult population (aged 15 years and above), who were willing to work and actively seeking employment, could not get any work in Nagaland against just 4.2% nationally.
While the overall unemployment data is most alarming at best, it pales in comparison if one digs deeper into the unemployment data and analyse other attributes. Three important aspects of unemployment as well as employment-based on usual status (i.e. usual principal status and the subsidiary status), are cited here.
At the outset is the massive youth employment which was 55.2% in Nagaland, against the All-India rate of 12.9%. The survey designated 15-29 years adults as youth. In others words, more than half of the youth population seeking work were not getting gainful employment. Needless to say, the Worker Population Ratio (15 years and above) or the percentage of employed persons in the population was among the lowest in Nagaland at 49.5% while it averaged 52.6% nationally.
‘Young, educated but jobless’ could be the apt description if one looks at the status of unemployment scenario among the ‘educated persons’ in Nagaland. At 30.8%, the survey reflected that nearly one-third of the ‘educated’ were unemployed in Nagaland. The All-India average was just 9.1%. In the PLFS, ‘educated persons’ is defined as “those who have attained the educational level of secondary and above,” with successful completion of the highest level of education taken as the threshold.
What’s more, further analysis of the educated unemployment status showed that the rates rise with education levels. Accordingly, while the unemployment rate for ‘higher secondary’ was more or less the same with secondary at 29.3%, it jumped to 40.7% among graduates and was highest among educational level given as ‘Post Graduate and Above’ at 45.2%. The national unemployment rates for graduates and post graduates and above were 15.5% and 12.5% respectively during the analysed period. The rates among ‘graduate and above’ could be considered the ‘true’ reflection of the unemployment as most people spent the secondary and higher secondary level completing their schooling. Interestingly, unemployment among ‘diploma or certificate' course holders was given as zero, while it was 14.2% nationally.
This figure, to some extent, is verifiable with the registration at the State's employment exchanges. According to the Nagaland Economic Survey 2021-22 published by the Department of Economics & Statistics, there were 77,746 applicants in the employment exchanges as on December 31, 2021. Out of this, nearly 40% (29924) were graduates and above. No wonder, limited jobs in government sectors are most sought, while instances of underemployment cannot be ruled out.
Another aspect is the condition of those considered employed. Among those employed, in Nagaland, a total of 61.5% gave their status as self-employed against the national average of 55.6%. While Nagaland scored better in terms of ‘regular wage/salary’ with 35.4% employed receiving the same against the national average of 21.1%, the picture is not rosy if the nature of the engagement is analysed. For instance, the percentage of regular wage or salaried employees in the non-agriculture sector with 'no written job contract' was as high as 94.1% in Nagaland against the All-India average of 64.3%. Without a contract, job security is the biggest casualty. However, a total of 11.3% were not eligible for paid leave and 8.5% were ‘without any social security benefit’ against a corresponding all-India rate of 47.9% and 53.8% respectively. Those without all three parameters were 4.2% in Nagaland and 38.1% in India.
Given the gravity of the situation as well as the economic, socio-political and personal consequences of unemployment, among others; the Government of Nagaland in all seriousness should draw up a comprehensive and holistic plan to deal with the mounting challenge of unemployment. It should begin with a detailed analysis of the various aspects of the employment and unemployment scenario reflected in the PLFS report over the years and implement measures to correct deficiencies and continuous improvement of the best practices.
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