The Impact of COVID-19 on the Labor Market in India: Focusing on the Expansion of the Labor Gap and Digitization

Abstract

인도는 2021ë „ 03월 COVID-19 ëˆ„ì  확진자 수가 1,173만 ëª ì„ ë„˜ì–´ì„°ê³ , 미국 다음으로 대규모 확진자가 발생하여 ì „êµ­ì ìœ¼ë¡œ 막대한 피해를 보았다. 특히 ë¹„ê³µì‹ë ¸ë™ì— ì¢ ì‚¬í•˜ëŠ” 인도 내 이주 ë ¸ë™ìžë“¤ì€ 팬더믹과 봉쇄조치의 ì§ì ‘ 타격을 받아 역이주와 생존의 위협을 ê²ªê³ ìžˆë‹¤. 2021ë „ê¹Œì§€ COVID-19가 ì§€ì†ë ê²½ìš° 관광 및 ì ‘ê° ì‚°ì— ì—ì„œ 2천만개 이상의 일자리가 사라질 것으로 ì˜ˆìƒë˜ê³ ìžˆìœ¼ë©°, 이미 ë ¸ë™ìž 부재로 인한 생산면에서의 타격도 í˜„ì‹¤í™”ë˜ê³ ìžˆë‹¤. 더 큰 ë¬¸ì œëŠ” 이러한 일자리 감소와 ë ¸ë™ì‹œìž¥ì˜ 양극화가 COVID-19 ì´ì „ë¶€í„° 꾸준히 진행되어 오던 êµ¬ì¡°ì ì¸ ë¬¸ì œì—ì„œ 출발하였으며, 코로나 ëŒ€ìœ í–‰ì€ êµ¬ì¡°ì  ë¬¸ì œì˜ í­ë°œì  발현의 ì´‰ë§¤ì œê°€ 되었을 뿐이라는 ì ì´ë‹¤. 이에 따라 인도 ì‚°ì— ê³¼ ë ¸ë™ì‹œìž¥ì˜ êµ¬ì¡°ì ì¸ ë¬¸ì œê°€ 무엇인지 짚어 본다. 인도 ì •ë¶€ì˜ ì œì¡°ì— ìœ¡ì„±ì± (Make in India)은 ë¬¼ë¡ ì´ê³ , 2020ë „ 코로나 사태의 한 가운데서 ì œê¸°ëœ 자립 인도(Atmanirbhar Bharat) ì •ì± ë„ 이러한 ë¬¸ì œì˜ 해결에 대한 ê³ ë¯¼ì—ì„œ 시작된 것이다. 본 연구는 디지털화와 4ì°¨ì‚°ì— í˜ëª ì„ ë§žì´í•˜ê³ ìžˆëŠ” 현실을 또 다른 위기 증폭의 ì´‰ë§¤ì œê°€ 아니라, ë¬¸ì œ 해결의 단서가 ë ìˆ˜ 있는 ë ¸ë™ì‹œìž¥ 재구성의 방향성을 살펴본다. India has recently experienced an acute crisis confronting the COVID-19 pandemic as confirmed cases exceeded 11.73 million in March 2021, which was the second worst scale only after the United States. The strict lockdown measures as well as the pandemic itself posed a serious threat of survival, in particular, to immigrant workers engaged in informal sectors, which triggered their reverse immigration. In case the COVID-19 pandemic continues in 2021, it is estimated that in the sector of tourism and service alone, more than 20 million jobs will disappear. The damage on industry is already being realized with the significant decrease of workforce. It is important to note, however, that jobless growth and labor polarization were observed even before the outbreak of COVID-19, and that the pandemic only served as one of the trigger catalysts that made those submerged problems burst out. In this study, we examine the structural problems in industry and labor market in India and consider the social context and efficacy of the “Make in India” or “Atmanirbhar Bhrat” policy. The latter initiative was presented in the trenches of the pandemic in 2020. While considering the complexity of problems, we would like to pursue a future-oriented approach and propose a direction in restructuring the labor market, attempted at reversing the critical conditions following the fourth industrial revolution and digitization into the shortcut to labor market restructuring. Keywords: COVID-19, India, Labor Market, Labor Gap, Digitization, Caste System