Journal of Indian School of Political Economy

S. K. Bhaumik ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Economics, Calcutta University, Kolkata 700 050, IN

Abstract

This paper seeks to build some understanding of the employment and unemployment situation in West Bengal during past two decades or so. This is important in view of added emphasis on employment generation both by the state and central governments in the Tenth Plan period. For setting appropriate policies towards employment generation/unemployment reduction, it is necessary to develop state-specific understanding of the trends and dimensions of employment/unemployment particularly in recent years. A part from delineating emerging employment/unemployment scenarios, this paper attempts projections of employment/unemployment in West Bengal by the end of Tenth Plan period and offers some suggestions that might be useful to combat adverse situation on the employment/unemployment front.

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S. K. Bhaumik ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Economics, University of Calcutta, Kolkata-700050, IN

Abstract

This paper analyses data collected through field surveys in West Bengal to understand the factors that determine the rural workers' choice of mode of employment in the non-farm sector. The paper also looks into employment and earnings levels of the non-farm workers under different modes of employment. The questions specifically addressed are: (i) What has been the degree of participation in the non-farm sector by the rural workers? (ii) What are important modes of employment for the rural non-farm workers? (iii) What are different activities/sub-sectors in which the non-farm workers under different modes of employment are involved? (iv) What have been the 'intensity of employment' and 'earnings per worker' under different modes of employment in the non-farm sector? (v) What are main determinants of the rural non-farm workers' choice of mode of employment.

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