Work Participation Rate Research Articles

An Analysis of Linkages between Literacy and Economic Participation of Women in India

An increase in women’s economic empowerment increases access and control over their strategic life choices, which affects their ability to effectively utilize available opportunities and understand their abilities. Education is one of the critical factors influencing women's economic empowerment. Due to several interventions for promoting female literacy, school enrolment of girls has increased, and the literacy rate improved significantly in India, especially in rural areas. However, this has no impact on female work participation when we compare it to male work participation. An attempt is made in the present paper to analyze the linkages between literacy and economic participation of women to understand the inter-state disparities in India. The study observed a weak correlation between literacy and female work participation rate, suggesting that higher literacy will not lead to a high female work participation rate due to the gender norms deeply rooted in the culture.

WOMEN AND WORK: DEMAND FOR LOW-PAID WORK AND MOVEMENT TO CITIES IN KERALA

Despite the achievements of the Indian state of Kerala in development indicators with a negligible gender gap, when it comes to employment, the performance of women’s paid participation falls below expectations. The low work participation rate of women in Kerala over the decades has been showing signs of improvement in the recent PLFS surveys. Apart from the reported increase in work through Kudumbaree and MGNREGA, the paper argues that the recent economic changes have created an increase in demand for low-paid work of women, contributing to this change. The paper tries to understand the nature of this demand created especially in the cities, by focusing on two low-end categories of work -salesgirls and domestic workers. The paper also tries to trace an emerging pattern of intrastate movement of women for work in the cities in these newly created job opportunities. The paper is based on primary survey, supplemented by secondary data and literature.

Agglomeration Economies and Rural-to-Urban Migration in India

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US"><span style="color:black">Keeping in view the concept of agglomeration economies and the New Economic Geography (NEG) angle, this paper makes an attempt to examine the rural to urban population movement at the district level in India. The findings do not favour a strong positive association between levels of urbanization and migration rates.  However, there exists a cluster of districts which are able to attract migrants on a large scale in spite of being already urbanized. The work participation rate, share of services and construction work, and literacy rate all form parts of this positive nexus, indicating that opportunities exist with increased levels of urbanization which in turn prompt people to migrate. The positive spill-over effects of higher levels of urbanization are not limited to the urban spaces only as the adjoining rural areas also seem to have undergone   a significant transformation. The land use pattern and activities are changing and some of the developmental impact is evident. However, the regional variations in this respect are evident. There are sharp differences in the relationship between urbanization level and migration rates across regions. The nature of urbanization and its determinants and the outcome variables of urbanization and migration also unravel regional variations. Besides, there are many districts with higher levels of urbanization; yet, they are not able to attract migrants at a rapid pace. New investment opportunities can be created in these spaces to reduce the cost of growth and make employment generation process more effective, facilitating the rural population to take the benefits of agglomeration economies.</span></span></span></span></p>

Geoinformatics-Based Mapping of Environmental Sensitive Areas for Desertification over Satara and Sangli Districts of Maharashtra, India

Desertification processes in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid conditions have been enhanced in recent decades. The geospatial database and associated satellite data can be effectively employed for regional planning to address desertification and land degradation. In this study, the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model has been used to map environmentally sensitive areas due to desertification in the Satara and Sangli districts of Maharashtra, India. This was achieved by combining Landsat-8 multispectral data, Census data, soil data, and climatic variables like temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. The algorithm of MEDALUS is the geometric mean of four indicators, namely soil quality index (SQI), climate quality index (CQI), vegetation quality index (VQI), and socio-economic quality index (SEQI). The findings indicated that the majority of the study area comes under the potential category of desertification (60.32%) followed by fragile (27.87%) and critical (11.81%). Areas with a high propensity for desertification were found over the low to very low climatic quality and moderate to high soil quality including lower socio-economic quality. The lower socio-economic quality is mainly due to high to very high population density (>100 people/km2), low to moderate illiteracy rate (<16%), and low to moderate work participation rate (<50%) that incentivize unsustainable land use practices. The study provides a valuable tool for understanding and managing natural resources. It offers a detailed analysis of the environmental sensitivity of the study area, taking into account various factors like land use, vegetation cover, slope, and soil erosion potential. The developed comprehensive map of the area helps in identifying the most sensitive regions and developing appropriate conservation strategies. The information obtained from the study can be utilized to develop and implement successful measures to prevent or alleviate desertification, which is crucial for sustaining the health of ecosystems and the welfare of local residents.

Occupational Structure of Population in the Malaprabha River Basin, Karnataka State, India; A Geographical Approach

Changes in the size, composition, and distribution of the population are closely associated with the demographic structure of the workforce. On the other hand, the workforce participation rates vary according to the stages of economic development, across cultures, age groups, and between sexes (R. B. Bhagat and K. C. Das, 2008). It is an indicator of a growing society (Pant, 1992). Thus, occupational structure is the most important demographic aspect in explaining the economic well-being structure of the inhabitantsof the region. The occupational structure, in turn, is influenced by the participation rates and related features, such as the growth and levels of farm and rural non-farm activities. An attempt is made in this study to examine the emerging trends in the occupational structure of the population in the Malaprabha River Basin area from 1971 to 2011. More specifically, the spatio-temporal analysis of the work participation rates in total and farm sectors among males and females in the talukas of the study area This study is based upon secondary sources of data, and though the study area is a natural region, the talukas or tehsils have been taken as units of study. The findings suggest that there are undoubtedly significant changes in work participation rates between farm and non-farm sectors and between males and females in the study area. To overcome this context, some developmental policies such as youth employment is one of the prime focus areas of SHGs. This can bring prosperity to workers in far-off rural areas.

STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITY IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS

Persons with disabilities are among the most marginalized and overlooked groups worldwide, with limited opportunities for social and economic progress (as noted by Amartya Sen and James D. Wolfensohn in 2014). It is important to recognize that individuals with disabilities are not a homogenous entity; rather, they encompass a diverse range of disability types, each with its unique challenges and requirements for specialized care and support, as pointed out by (Leni Chaudhuri in 2006). India, in particular, has a substantial population of individuals with disabilities. According to the 2011 Census of India, this demographic accounted for approximately 26.8 million people, constituting 2.21 percent of the countrys total population. In this backdrop the present study has objectives are to know the growth rate of disabled population in across the states in India; to study the educational status of persons with disability in different states in India; to examine the work participation rate of disabled population in across the states in India and lastly, to offer policy suggestions for upliftment of the disabled persons in india.The study is based on purely secondary data. the data collected from different sources like Census of India 2011 and https://disabilityaffairs.gov.in. the study has also used simple statistical tools such as percentage, decadal growth rate and rank for the analyses.the study observes significant variations in the trends of the disabled population growth in different states of India. The overall data reflects the combined figures for both literate and illiterate disabled individuals and mirrors the gender and urban-rural disparities observed in the subgroups.the disparity in literacy rates between disabled and non-disabled populations in different states and union territories.the study found that the disabled males have a significantly higher work participation rate compared to disabled females, regardless of whether they live in rural or urban areas. Rural areas have a slightly higher work participation rate among disabled individuals than urban areas. The study suggested that to develop and implement gender-sensitive policies and programs to address the gender disparities in disability rates in India level; To focus on inclusive education programs to reduce illiteracy rates among disabled individuals, with a particular emphasis on rural areas in India and to promote inclusive employment opportunities, especially for disabled females, to reduce gender disparities in workforce participation. KEYWORDS: Disability, Educational Attainment, Growth Rate, Districts, States.

Work participation rates and employment structure of Muslim females in urban India: 2005–2010

Work participation rates and employment structure of Muslim females in urban India: 2005–2010

Changing Employment Patterns: An Analysis of Rural Labour Force in Punjab

The story of Punjab’s economic development witnessed an asymmetrical shift in the structure of output and employment due to the intensive capitalistic model of production in agriculture. The present study, based on National Sample Survey Office data, examines the patterns of employment and output in rural economy of Punjab during the pre-reform and post-reform period. Rural Punjab witnessed fall of work participation rate and phenomenon of ‘defeminisation’ of the labour force in agriculture during the post-reform period. There is a paradigm shift as the share of non-agriculture employment increased to 59.3% as per Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018; consequently, the non-agriculture sector becomes a major driving force in the state economy. An increase in employment elasticity among all sectors (except construction sector) during the post-reform period is a good sign. But a substantial decline in employment elasticity for all the sectors (except the construction sector) of Punjab is a disquieting phenomenon during the study period. Amidst the agrarian crisis, the rural non-farm sector can emerge as a silver lining, but evangelists of market economy disregarded the rural non-farm sector. Hence, the state should abdicate its neoliberal policies and adopt post-Washington consensus for the development of the rural non-farm sector within a given mode of production. JEL Codes: E24, J16, J43, J46, O11

WOMEN HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE WORKFORCE

The Indian labor market displays several striking features: very low rates of female labor force participation; considerable variance in rates of female labor force participation across Indian states; and a large share of both women and men working in the informal sector. Various types of people work at various types of jobs. A substantial portion of India's workforce historically has been made up of women. The work participation rate of women of India is showing a downward trend in the last few decades. It also signifies that women’s entry or exit of labour market is influenced by non-economic factors also. The study finds that there is neither quantitative nor qualitative improvement in women’s employment over time on account of structural changes in the economy. There is no major occupational diversification in women’s employment despite structural shift of the economy from primary to tertiary sector. Agriculture is still the leading sector in women’s employment. Overcrowding of workforce in agriculture largely as wage labourers, lower earnings, poor literacy levels, large-scale informal employment and most self-employment in the form of unpaid work are indications of women’s disadvantaged position in the labour market. Women are primarily seen as ‘caregivers’ for the family, even when they contribute to the family’s financial needs. This paper tries to find out that the position of women in workplace and in the family.

Gender Wage Gap among Rural Non-farm Sector Employees in India: Evidence from Nationally Representative Survey

This article examines the gender-wise work participation rate and evaluates the wage disparity between male and female workers employed as either regular or casual employees in rural non-farm sectors. Based on the National Sample Survey data of 2004–2005 and 2019–2020, it is found that the gender inequality (against women) in employment opportunity is not only prevalent in the rural non-farm labour market but also on the rise during the last one and a half decades. The perceived difference in human capabilities between women and men and the non-availability of enough job opportunities could be a major driver of this inequality, apart from the existing social stigma in hiring the women in the rural labour market. This is reflected by the rise in the mean wage difference between two genders during 2004–2005 and 2019–2020. Both the mean and the quantile decomposition results suggest that a higher percentage of gender wage differentials is due to endowment components or labour productivity differences. Because of the existence of the ‘sticky floor’ phenomenon, the wage disparity is relatively larger at the bottom end of the earning distribution. But it reduces when we stride towards higher quintiles on the wage distribution. Hence, it is argued that policies aimed at enhancing the skill endowment of rural women can substantially reduce both the non-farm sector gender wage gap and the inequality in access to non-farm employment.

Do cities favor female entrepreneurs? Evidence from India

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the economic determinants of female-owned proprietorships for 52 metro cities in India. The National Sample Survey (NSS) unit-level data are used for the analysis. The descriptive results show that women's proprietorship is much lower than its counterpart. The Probit regression results at the individual level show that women entrepreneurs do not have a bank account or computer but use the internet, are not registered under any act or authority, and do not expand considerably. They operate within household premises with a limited number of months and duration of a day, undertaking mainly contract basis. They also face several problems that hinder their activities. City-level factors such as work participation rate, consumption expenditure, higher levels of general and technical degrees, and vocational training are essential. The likelihood of becoming a female entrepreneur is negatively impacted by the two agglomeration variables of population size and participation in mixed activity. City-level poverty and inequality also adversely affect it. State-level Human Development Index, Gender Development Index, and Gender Inequality Index are also significant. Finally, we propose important policies to enable the city environment to improve women's entrepreneurship activities for higher and sustainable economic development.

Problems Faced by Working Women in India: An Obstacle for Women Work Participation

India is termed as a traditional country with wide diversity in religion, ethnicity, culture and customs. The role of women in India is mostly limited to household and domestic works. women in India’s workplace remain significantly under- represented. India has a female work participation rate of 20 percent which is less then have of global average of 47 percent. The major objective of the study is to identify the factors responsible and creating problems for working women in India and how it has an effect on female work participation rate. The present study is conceptual in nature and is based on secondary data collected from various sources. The data collected is analysed with the aid of simple growth rate to understand the comparison in the female work participation rate over time. As per the study results it was understood that the FWPR has increased at a growth rate of 12.50 percent. Although it has been very much tough for the women in India, to survive after facing many hurdles, exploitation and discrimination still they are being persistent in their efforts and constantly trying to make their existence noticeable in the male dominated Indian society.

Work participation in adults with rare genetic diseases - a scoping review

BackgroundWork participation is a crucial aspect of health outcome and an important part of life for most people with rare genetic diseases. Despite that work participation is a social determinant of health and seems necessary for understanding health behaviours and quality of life, it is an under-researched and under-recognized aspect in many rare diseases. The objectives of this study was to map and describe existing research on work participation, identify research gaps, and point to research agendas in a selection of rare genetic diseases.MethodsA scoping review was performed by searching relevant literature in bibliographic databases and other sources. Studies addressing work participation in people with rare genetic diseases published in peer reviewed journals were assessed using EndNote and Rayyan. Data were mapped and extracted based on the research questions concerning the characteristics of the research.ResultsOf 19,867 search results, 571 articles were read in full text, and 141 satisfied the eligibility criteria covering 33 different rare genetic diseases; 7 were reviews and 134 primary research articles. In 21% of the articles the primary aim was to investigate work participation. The extent of studies varied between the different diseases. Two diseases had more than 20 articles, but most had only one or two articles. Cross-sectional quantitative studies were predominant, with few utilizing prospective or qualitative design. Nearly all articles (96%) reported information about work participation rate, and 45% also included information about factors associated with work participation and work disability. Due to differences in methodologies, cultures and respondents, comparison between and within diseases are difficult. Nevertheless, studies indicated that many people with different rare genetic diseases experience challenges related to work, closely associated to the symptoms of the disease.ConclusionWhile studies indicate high prevalence of work disability in many patients with rare diseases, the research is scarce and fragmented. More research is warranted. Information about the unique challenges of living with different rare diseases is crucial for health and welfare systems to better facilitate work participation. In addition, the changing nature of work in the digital age, may also open up new possibilities for people with rare genetic diseases and should be explored.

An Explorative Analysis of the Labour Market structure in the Peri-Urban area of Hyderabad Metropolitan Region

The study was undertaken during June–August, 2020 in the peri-urban areas of Hyderabad Metropolitan Region of Telangana under the department of Agricultural Economics, Professor Jayashanker Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telengana state, India. The objective was to explore the nature of gender gap in the labour market since peri-urban spaces capture changes better. Based on the Census survey data, descriptive analysis was employed in the study. The study revealed that urban sprawl did not guarantee working environment to men and women equally and women were either pushed out of workforce or rendered with marginal works. A gendered society in developing world was clearly pictured and occupational segregation was also observed in the study locations. The results also revealed the existence of distress employment with a rise in the female marginal workers compared to their male counterparts. Women workers were more into agricultural labour than male workers in the peri-urban study locations confirming feminisation of agriculture whereas other worker category which needs specialized skills were dominated by male workers. A decline in female work participation rate was indeed observed but a detailed look identified it as a rural phenomenon. In a nut shell, the results reflected that the rapid developments in the peri-urban region did not provide a similar working environment to both genders and further, the benefits of urbanization is yet to reach the rural continuum.

Does The Scheme “Free Bus Policy for Women in Public Transportation” Contributes to The Achievement of The Sustainable Development Goals?

Tamilnadu, one of the states in India is performing better in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by implementing various schemes and programmes. One such scheme “Free bus travel for women in public transportation”, was launched in June 2021 in an effort to reduce the cost of travel and enhance women’s work participation rates. Women's mobility is essential for increased labour force participation, higher wages and salaries. The aim of this scheme is to help women, especially those who earn a living on a daily basis, become economically independent and free from poverty. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyse the impact of the scheme with the various relevant SDGs. It is a descriptive paper that highlights the policy’s various benefits on women, whether it contributes to the achievement of various sustainable development goals such as Goal 1.4 (access to basic services), Goal 4.3 (Equal access to tertiary education), Goal 5.2 (elimination of violence against women in public and private sphere), Goal 8.5 (decent work) & Goal 11.2 (safe public transportation) using both quantitative survey and qualitative interviews which was carried out among 150 women commuters in Sivagangai District. The scheme was shown to have a good effect on women by assisting them in meeting their practical needs, such as gaining access to markets and schools, and by assisting them in strategically empowering themselves by providing access to social and economic possibilities.

Employment Participation and Determinants of the Gender Wage Gap in the Head of the Household

The distortion model becomes a problem in development planning, including in the development goals of reducing discrimination and concerns. These two things are closely related to gender expectations on work participation. The purpose of this study was to estimate the gender pay gap at the work participation rate of household heads in Magelang during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analytical tools used are Probit regression and the decomposition of the Blinder-Oaxaca model. The model decomposes wage differentials by gender. The study uses the 2020 SAKERNAS data. The results show that work participation for male household heads is determined by the marginal effect of work experience, age and area of residence, not education level and number of family dependents, while female household heads are only determined because of the number factor. family responsibilities. Furthermore, the potential work experience of male household heads has a significant negative effect. Research findings from the Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition calculation show that the difference in wages between groups of household heads during the Covid 19 pandemic proved statistically significant. The role of the government is expected to be more active in disseminating policies related to gender in the labor market and exercising control over business actors in implementing labor regulations.

Gender gap in mobility outside home in urban India

India has one of the highest levels of gender inequality in the world. Work participation rate of women is among the lowest, with a wide gender gap. There are seclusion norms that restrict the mobility of women outside the home. However, transport literature in India has not explored the impact of this lack of autonomy on gender differences in travel demand. I use 2019 population-representative nationwide time-use survey of India. The dataset reported both travel and non-travel activities for 30-minute episodes over a 24-hour period. For urban residents, I analysed gender differences in trip rates and mobility rates, where the latter is defined as the percentage going out of home at least once on the reporting day. I developed gender-stratified logistic regression models at the individual level with mobility as a binary outcome. It was found that 53% of the females did not report going out of the home compared to only 14% of males. The mobility of females reduces steeply from adolescence to young adulthood and then remains largely stable at a low level before reducing further for older adults. No such variation is observed among males, except their mobility is also reduced among older adults. There is a clear dichotomy with women mostly participating in in-house activities while men mostly involved in out-of-home activities. Adolescence or adulthood, marriage, living with one or more household members, having an infant in the house, lower income, and less education are associated with a lower likelihood of female mobility. The results highlight the need for gender-stratified analysis for transportation research, and a need for greater engagement across the disciplines of development economics, social sciences, and transport planning.

Women Beedi Workers of Cooch Behar, West Bengal: Accessibility of Welfare Programmes

The labour market in India is largely unorganised in character, employing 93 per cent of the country’s labour force. India is a country where female work participation rate is very low, yet some specific sectors like beedi manufacturing have an overwhelming female work participation. Today, beedi manufacturing is a traditional and largely home-based industry in India in which 98 per cent of beedi workers are females. This article attempts to capture the accessibility of labour welfare programmes by female beedi workers in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. As a welfare state, the Government of India, along with the state government of West Bengal, has enacted several welfare schemes to protect the basic social needs of these women workers. But their backwardness, illiteracy combined with poverty, and a lack of administrative transparency appear to be major constraints in female beedi workers having any access to welfare programmes.

Analysis of Work Participation Rate among Tehsils Level of Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra State

Abstract: India has a large number of primary workers, so the Indian economy is highly unbalanced. Ahmednagar district is an agriculture-oriented district. This research paper is written to explore the changing pattern of work participation rate and the gender gap in the workforce among the tehsils of Ahmednagar district during 2001-2011. In the present study, the tehsils have been taken as the component areal units of the study region for determining the variation in the distribution of the workforce. The present study is entirely based on a secondary source of data collected from the census of the Ahmednagar district between 2001 and 2011. Simple statistical methods are used to process the collected data to calculate work participation rate, decadal variation, and gender gap. This paper has attempted a comprehensive study of the trends in the work participation rate tehsil level in general and male-female.

Does sickness absence history affect work participation after vocational labour market training?

Abstract Background Active labour market programmes, such as vocational training, have become widely adopted measures to increase job seekers’ employment opportunities, but evidence of their effectiveness in later employment is mixed. Individuals who enter training differ greatly in their socioeconomic background, health, and labour market history, which can affect the effectiveness of these programmes. There is still uncertainty, for example, on how vocational labour market training works for individuals with prior health problems. Methods We use nationally representative Finnish register data on 88,283 individuals aged 25-59 who participated in vocational labour market training in 2008-2013, 23,715 of whom had sickness absence lasting at least 10 weekdays (including Saturday) three years prior to the training and 64,568 of whom did not. To adjust for the differences in sociodemographic and work-related factors between these groups, we will conduct propensity score matching. We will analyze work participation three years before and after the training among those with sickness absence and those without using a difference-in-difference analysis. Results Our preliminary results show that before training the work participation rate was similar in those with sickness absence history (58.5 %) and those without (58.1 %). After training, those with a sickness absence history had slightly lower work participation than those without (54.6% versus 59.6 %). The differences in work participation between these groups increased slightly over time after training. Conclusions Vocational labour market training does not necessarily work equally well for everyone in terms of enhancing employment, and job seekers with work disability history should be offered either extra support or another type of unemployment service. However, these are our pre-matching results, and they cannot be causally interpreted. Next, we will conduct the propensity score matching and difference-in-difference analysis. Key messages • Having a sickness absence history prior to vocational labour market training is associated with lower work participation after training compared to participants without a sickness absence history. • The main advantage of the study is the use of a quasi-experimental study design to test the effectiveness of vocational training, using rich nationally representative register data with long follow-up.