Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
Labour is a _________ input in production.
Human input
Explanation
Labour is the very important factor of input which is used in the production process. Production cannot be carried on without the human labour. When the machines are used in place of the labour it is said to be capital. Even the production firm is capital intensive there will be need of human labour for the operation of the capital.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
Working-age group refers to _______ years.
15-60
Explanation
The age group of 15-60 are economically productive and biologically reproductive. They comprise the working population.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
The share of female workers in the total workforce of India is about _______.
35%
Explanation
The share of the female workers was about 35% in 2001 and 2011. It shows that less number of women participating in the workforce in India.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
As economic development takes place, a share of workers in _______ sector declines.
Primary sector
Explanation
When there is an economic development there will be structural changes in the workforce. Development may enhance the education and other secondary and tertiary sectors in the economy which will shift the workforce from primary to the secondary and tertiary sector.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
MGNREGA was passed in the year _________.
2005
Explanation
MGNREGA is known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) which was enacted on August 25, 2005. This act was implemented with effect from 2-2-2006.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
What is the meaning of labour?
Labour includes all the physical and intellectual efforts that are being made by the human for producing the goods. Labour results in the production of goods or services or both. It is the factor of input used in the production. It is very important because without the involvement of the very essential even the production process is capital intensive. Even the capital is introduced by the intelligence effort of human labour. Therefore labour plays a very crucial role in the production process.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
What is the unorganized sector?
The sector that comprises of small scale enterprises or units and moreover these sectors are not registered with the government. These units are scattered which are largely outside the control of the government. Though there are rules and regulations these are never followed here. For example, casual workers in construction, roadside business, shops etc. In this sector, there is no job security and the conditions of employment are also very tough.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
Define unemployment.
Unemployment is the state of condition where the person is not able to engage in any work or job at the prevailing wage rate. It is the state of condition where the person remains jobless. There are different types of unemployment but at large the meaning of unemployment is the when the person is willing to work prevailing wage rate and he is not able to find a job and he is said to be unemployed. The rate of the person who is unemployed is being increasing day by day in India.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
How is the unemployment rate measured?
Unemployment is the state of condition where the person is not able to engage in any work or job at the prevailing wage rate. It is the state of condition where the person remains jobless. The unemployment rate is measured by dividing the total number of unemployed people by the total number of the labour force.
Unemployment rate = Total number of unemployed people/Total labour force.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
Explain the main causes of unemployment in India.
Major causes of unemployment in India are:
• Jobless Growth
India has recently witnessed the jobless growth. After the post-liberalisation period, India has witnessed the economic growth is mainly based on manufacturing and service sector. The least development in the primary sector has led to many job losses and has failed to create a job according to the population.
• Increase in the labour force
The increase in the population has led to the increased labour force to the local market. Due to the increase in population mainly led to an increase in disguised unemployment.
• Inappropriate technology
Increase in the technology in agriculture and industries have led to minimizing the use of labour.
• Dependence on agriculture
Since agricultural work is seasonal and over-dependence in the agricultural sector has led to labourers unemployed for more than 3 to 4 months which is offseason in agriculture.
• Lack of mobility in labour
Labour mobility is very low in India. Because of their family loyalty, people generally avoid migrating to far-off places for work. Factors like the diversity of language, religion and customs also contribute to low mobility.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
What are the types of unemployment?
Unemployment is the state of condition where the person is not able to engage in any work or job at the prevailing wage rate. It is the state of condition where the person remains jobless. There are different types of unemployment but at large the meaning of unemployment is the when the person is willing to work prevailing wage rate and he is not able to find a job and he is said to be unemployed. The major types of unemployment are:
• Disguised unemployment
It is the condition where the number of people is employed in the production process but the productivity is very low. It mainly is seen in the agricultural land, where all the members of the family are involved but the production is low.
• Cyclical unemployment
The unemployment which is caused due to the fluctuations in the business cycle is called cyclical unemployment. This is mainly because of deficiency in demand in the market.
• Seasonal unemployed
When people are employed only for particular months or seasons, this can be termed as seasonal unemployment. Agricultural work is the main seasonal work because the production takes place only in particular months.
• Structural unemployment
This type of unemployment arises through a change in demand which switches production from one kind of work to another. Structural unemployment is long-term unemployment caused by the decline of certain industries and changes in the production process.
Discuss in groups and answer the following:
Write the objectives and functioning of MGNREGS.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which guarantees 100-day employment to an unemployed person in a year. It has implemented it in 200 of the districts and further will be expanded to 600 districts. In exchange for working under this scheme, the person is paid 150 per day.
Objectives and functioning of MGNREGS
• The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for wage employment.
• It is a demand driven programme where stipulation of work is triggered by the demand for work by wage seekers.
• The MGNREGA overcomes problems of targeting through its self-targeting apparatus of beneficiary selection, that is, a large percentage of poorest of the poor and marginalized seek employment under the Scheme.
• Gram Panchayats are to implement at least 50 per cent of the works in terms of cost. This order of devolution of financial resources to Gram Panchayats is exceptional.
• There is also an affiliated discouragement for failing to provide work on time, as the States then bear the cost of the unemployment allowance.
Project work:
Conduct an interview among unemployed people to understand the causes and type of unemployment
The interview conducted among the people who are unemployed and partly employed. The details of the interview of 4 different persons are given below.
• Me: What is your name and are you employed.
Rajesh: My name is Rajesh. Yes, I am employed in my agricultural field.
Me: will you be employed all over the year
Rajesh: NO.
Me: what is the reason?
Rajesh: Agricultural work is mainly seasonal and in the offseason period there will be no productivity.
Me: thank you
Rajesh: thank you
Rajesh is the person employed in his agricultural field and he doesn't have any employees in the summer season. Therefore Rajesh faces the seasonal unemployment.
• Me: What is your name and are you employed.
Suresh: My name is Suresh. No, but I will involve in the agricultural field that my family members are working
Me: will the production rises if you are involved in the work
Suresh: No
Me: Actually how much workers are needed to work in the field and how many are actually working.
Suresh: Actually there is a need of Only 10 members but in our field, there are nearly 25 people working
Me: thank you
Suresh: thank you
Suresh is employed in his agricultural field but he is an extra person employed theirs after the sufficient availability of labour. Therefore Suresh faces the problem of disguised unemployment.
• Me: What is your name and are you employed.
Ramesh: My name is Ramesh. No, I am unemployed
Me: what is the reason that you are unemployed?
Ramesh: I am searching for the job that suits for my qualification.
Me: If any job offered to you that is below your educational qualification, will you accept that job.
Ramesh: No, because I will work only that suits my educational qualification.
Me: thank you
Ramesh: thank you.
Ramesh is unemployed because he is a search of a job that suits his qualification. This type of unemployment is known as voluntary unemployment. Where the person is not willing to work at the prevailing wage rate.
• Me: what is your name and are you employed
Reshma: my name is Reshma. No, I am unemployed
Me: what is the reason that you are unemployed?
Reshma: I was employed in a company before last week, but now I am searching for a better job.
Me: so you are unemployed for the time which your search new job.
Reshma: yes
Me: thank you
Reshma: thank you
Reshma is a person who is unemployed for the time for which she is searching for a new job. This type of unemployment is known as Frictional unemployment.
Project work:
Write a report on gender dimensions of labour
When taking the gender dimension of labour into account the participation of the women in the labour market is very low. Women empowerment is needed to improve the condition of women in the labour market. There are many aspects where the gender division of labour can be seen at a very low rate.
• Marginalization of labour
Women amount to nearly 31% of the labour force in the rural area and 20% in urban areas. The female labour force contribution is moribund while that of males is mounting. Female labour force participation in India declined from roughly 40 per cent in the 1990s to 22.5 per cent in 2011-12.
• Barriers to the employment
Women face numerous barriers relating to the right of entry to employment, choice of work, working circumstances, employment security, wage parity, discrimination, and balancing the competing burdens of work and family responsibilities.
• Contribution to the technological field
The contribution of the women in the technological field is very low. It is mainly seen in the education system itself where the girls will not allow taking the engineering courses in the family.
• Economic dependence of women
Women face multiple barriers connecting to access to employment, choice of work, working conditions, employment security, wage parity, favouritism, and balancing the competing burdens of work and family household tasks.
• Casual unemployment
A larger share of women workers is betrothed in the primary sector, which is characterized by low productivity activities (63 per cent versus 44 per cent of males); a lower share of women are occupied in regular employment (13 per cent, as against 20 per cent of males); and a momentous share of urban women work in the service sector as domestic workers.
Activity:
Visit a public works site and prepare a report on the work situation and division of labour there.
The visit of the public work site was to the Instrumentation limited. This site is maintained by the central government and it includes the heavy industries.
Work situation
• There is effective management in the company. Workers are being monitored and managers are well behaving to the workers.
• Since the company is manufacturing unit, most of the workers are male. But there are women involvement in management and financial field.
• There is much safety precaution for the worker in all the corners of the building. There is the availability of:
o First aid
o Fire extinguisher
o Emergency exit
o Well maintained rust rooms
• The timings for the workers are also much efficient. There is no overtime working unless there is a target that is to be finished in time.
• Working pressure is very much created by fixing the target to finish the production within the stipulated time. In all departments, the date and quantity of products to be produced will be displayed.
• There is flexibility in taking leave for the workers in the emergency situation.
Division of labour
• Women constitute a very much small portion of the total labour employed. The share of the women is very less because these type of unit is manufacturing unit and it needs highly skilled labourers in the mechanical field. Women face multiple barriers relating to access to employment, choice of work, working conditions, employment security, wage parity, discrimination, and balancing the competing burdens of work and family responsibilities
• Moreover, the division of labour in different departments is efficiently done. The allocation of labour to the different departments is done according to their skills and to increase the productivity of the company.