The task force on employment data set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to submit its report next week and could recommend inclusion of data on jobs created under the government’s employment generation programmes such as MGNREGA and MUDRA.
The revamped data will also use proxies such as vehicle registrations in the country in a year to determine informal job creation in the economy, using the unconventional metric that a few jobs are created with every car sold, said officials aware of the development.
“The idea is to try and use some unorthodox methods that can give us data on job creation. For instance, how much employment is generated in the form of mechanics, cleaners or drivers with the registration of vehicles? Other countries use such a metric but we want to tap all such sources,” a senior official said.
The use of technology such as mobile phones or tablet devices in conducting employment survey by agencies such as National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and Labour Bureau is also being explored by the task force led by NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya.
The task force is learnt to have finalised the contours of its report on revamping employment statistics, to be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office next week.
Data from schemes
Apart from an endeavour to capture informal sector workers in the new employment-unemployment data series, the Centre would also use data from social security schemes such as the Employees’ Provident Fund, National Pension System and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation to determine formalisation of workforce in a year, said another official.
While the enterprise-level quarterly survey may be conducted by Labour Bureau, the annual household survey conducted by the Bureau at present may go. It will be replaced with a revamped annual household survey which may be conducted by National Sample Survey Office.
The enterprise-level survey by the Bureau “will be revamped” to cover informal sector firms as well. The present Labour Bureau survey covers firms employing more than 10 workers. Firms with less than 10 workers – comprising over 98% of total establishments in India – may be surveyed for gauging employment strength in the economy. “But the Bureau needs to be strengthened in the form of financials and human resources first,” said a government official.
As of now, the only employment data in India is available through quinquennial (once every five years) surveys by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), annual household surveys and quarterly enterprises survey conducted by Labour Bureau after the global financial crisis in 2008 and the Annual Survey of Industries (which only captures the employees of the registered factories).
Earlier last month, the government had formulated a task force on direction of Prime Minister Modi to “fill gaps” in employment surveys. The members of the task force included Labour Secretary M. Sathiyavathy, Statistics Secretary Dr. T.C.A. Ananth, NITI Aayog Member Prof. Pulak Ghosh and Reserve Bank of India Board Member Manish Sabharwal.
