NATURE AND EXTENT OF EMPLOYMENT AMONG PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Available literature on the subject indicates that the higher reservation wage and a lower market wage generally leads to lower probability of employment among the PWDs. The preset study carries out a systematic analysis of employment experiences of PWDs in different age cohorts and across gender, regions and social groups. A comparative study is also undertaken between the two time periods using 2001 and 2011 census data. In the last section of our study, the factors affecting work force participation rates for persons with disabilities is estimated, separately for rural and urban regions. The findings of the study suggest that there is lower employment outcomes for the persons with disabilities (PWDs). The work participation rate (WPR) has significantly increased in 2011 but it is attributed to increase in marginal workers. Thus, it can be inferred that there is growing informalisation in the disability sector as well. The SCs have the lowest employment rates and STs recorded the highest values of WPR. The female work force participation rates (WPR) is far lower, however female WPR has slightly increased in 2011. Further, the regression analysis of factors affecting workforce participation rates for persons with disabilities suggest that the rural and urban areas have different factors contributing to their employment. The findings reveal that individuals with disabilities have different employment outcomes depending on their disability types, gender and social compositions, levels of literacy, and whether they live in rural or urban regions. Understanding the economic experiences of PWDs is critical for disability advocates and policy-makers. The problems faced the persons with disabilities is multifaceted and require coordinated efforts to tackle them, at all the levels, social, economic and political.