Question

Analyse the main features of the composition of working population in India.

Answer 1

The main characteristics of the composition of the working population in India are as follows:

1. India’s population is divided into three groups: main workers, marginal workers, and non-workers.
2. Workers, including both main and marginal workers, form only 39.8 per cent of the population as per the Census 2011, while nearly 60 per cent are non-workers. This reflects a situation where the dependent population is large, suggesting the presence of a significant number of unemployed or underemployed people.
3. Work participation rates differ widely across regions, ranging from 29.1 per cent in Lakshadweep to 51.9 per cent in Himachal Pradesh.
4. States such as Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya record higher levels of work participation.
5. Among the Union Territories, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu show relatively high work participation rates.
6. Work participation tends to be higher in regions with lower levels of economic development, as a larger number of manual workers are required for subsistence or near-subsistence economic activities.
7. About 54.6 per cent of workers are employed in the primary sector as cultivators and agricultural labourers.
8. Only 3.8 per cent of workers are engaged in household industries, while 41.6 per cent work in non-household industries, trade, commerce, construction, and services.
9. Male workers outnumber female workers in all sectors, indicating a clear gender gap in employment.