All you need to know about the debate on job growth in India.
New Delhi: Are there more jobs in India, and where are they? The raging debate over job growth (or the lack of it, depending on who you ask), has thrown up multiple sets of data and points of views.
If you want a quick recap or a primer on the debate, these articles will get you up to speed.
1. Jobs, in perspective: Surjit Bhalla’s column in Indian Express
India does not need 12 million jobs a year, it needs less than 5 million. A large part of the so-called jobs crisis is because of demand for government jobs, not jobs per se.
2. Is India creating jobs or not? Ila Patnaik’s take on the data
The pessimist will argue that demonetisation and GST have caused waves of layoffs in the informal sector, but there are arguments by the optimistic, that complex structure of tax has created jobs in formal sector.
3. Vajpayee created 60 million jobs in 5 years, whereas Modi has just been creative with data
Prime Minister Modi’s claims that there exist three lakh village-level entrepreneurs have not been backed up by any data. This excerpt from Yashwant Sinha and Aditya Sinha’s book focuses on this fact.
4. Manipuris in Mysore Taco Bell: Why English and philosophy are key to India’s jobs crisis
The job crisis affects different parts of India in different ways. But, our English-educated youth have better prospects in India today than their monolingual counterparts given the access it brings with it.
5. Six ways to turn around the India job crisis
India’s policy focus needs to shift from mere growth to job-enabling growth. To start with, we need the right data.
6. The geography of employment in 21st century India
There is an acute shortage of regular non-farm jobs in most parts of the country, a Mint analysis shows
7. State of working India: Who is looking for work in India, and how good is the work?
The past few years have seen a vigorous debate over both the quantity and the quality of employment generated in the economy. This study by the Azim Premji Unversity takes a deep dive into the matter.