Bihar study to assess joblessness

Concerned over the recent report of the Indian labour bureau that projected dismal employment scenario in Bihar, the state government has decided to commission an extended survey of working hands to assess the reasons and types of unemployment in the state. Subhash Pathak reports.

Concerned over the recent report of the Indian labour bureau that projected dismal employment scenario in Bihar, the state government has decided to commission an extended survey of working hands to assess the reasons and types of unemployment in the state.

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The survey will be conducted along with the 3rd employment and unemployment survey to be launched next month by the labour bureau, a wing of the Union ministry of labour, across the country to ascertain the impact of economic slowdown on countryfs employability.

As per the second survey report based on over 1 lakh samples taken from different blocks, Bihar's unemployment rate was assessed at 8.3% vis-avis 3.8% as the national average. Confirming the plan, senior deputy director, finance and statistics department, government of Bihar, Jitendra Kumar Sinha, said extra workforce would be deployed to collect additional samples for the state apart from the survey to be conducted. The exercise has to be completed by February next year.

According to set practice, the labour bureau conducts the employment-unemployment survey by engaging officials and staff of the respective state governments. However, this time, Bihar has decided to enlarge the ambit of the survey and collect more samples to analyse the exact causes of increased unemployment of people in the age group of 15-59 and take remedial steps to bring it down, added Sinha.

Citing the reasons for additional survey, the cost of which would be borne out by the state government, Sinha said, "the labour bureau conducted the survey as per its own need,which may not suit the state's need."

"The survey report of national labour bureau lacks clarity. It does not stipulate whether the qualified, trained and skilled persons are jobless, or unemployment continues to haunt only unskilled labourers," he said.