- The Central Government has released a jobs report that seemed to suggest unemployment in India was at a four-decade high.
- The country’s unemployment rate was 6.1%, data from the country’s first periodic labour force survey (PLFS) for July 2017-June 2018 showed. Given the government’s admission on methodology, this is a number that has to be seen in isolation — at least until the next survey based on a comparable methodology is released.
- The last “unemployment-employment survey” was carried out in July 2011-June 2012, according to which the all-India unemployment rate was 2.7%. But that was based on an expenditure survey.
About Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
- Considering the need for availability of labour force statistics at more frequent intervals, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation had launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) during 2017-18, with the objective of measuring quarterly changes of various statistical indicators of the labour market in urban areas as well as generating the annual estimates of different labour force indicators both in rural and urban areas. Households in urban areas were visited four times, constituting a rolling panel for 3 quarters. This facilitates analysis of the changes in seasonal employment and employment characteristics in urban areas.
- The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) gives estimates of Key employment and unemployment Indicators like the Labour Force Participation Rates (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Proportion Unemployed (PU) and Unemployment Rate (UR). These indicators are defined as follows:
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage ofpersons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work)in the population.
- Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed personsin the population.
- Proportion Unemployed (PU): It is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed inthe population.
- Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployedamong the persons in the labour force.
- Activity Status- Usual Status: The activity status of a person is determined on the basis of the activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period. When the activity status is determined on the basis of the reference period of last 365 days preceding the date of survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person.
- The usage of technology is another intervention introduced in the PLFS for the first time by NSS. Data under socio-economic surveys of National Sample Survey are traditionally collected from the field by using paper schedules and after the completion of data collection work it takes about a year to make available the results of the survey.
- NSS adapted the World Bank Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) solution platform with appropriate inputs for the PLFS.
- Data for the PLFS was collected in the field using Tablets and the CAPI solution with an in-built data validation process. This proved useful in the collection of primary data from the households, a reduced time for data transfer and processing of the survey results. Implementation of online data entry system in NSS was a challenge that was effectively managed through close monitoring. NSShad intense and elaborate discussions with the World Bank Team andthe National Informatics Centre (NIC), New Delhi starting from the audit of the various versions of the CAPI module to the data processing and tabulation. A series of meetings were held and continuous communication through e-mail/ telephone/video conferencing (VC) was conducted for ensuring successful operations.
- The experience of using the CAPI solution for the field functionaries of the NSS was also unique. The Field Operations Division of NSS engaged around 700 personnel namely, Field Investigators (FI)/Field Officers (FO) besides, the regular manpower to work upon CAPI in PLFS. These manpower resources were trained for a uniform understanding to ensure correct implementation of concepts and definitions while collecting data.
