National employment policy seeks revival with five new job surveys

The long wait for a national employment policy might end soon with five major job surveys expected to come out with results in the next 7-8 months, Mint reported.

In the background of Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment inflated into a major crisis with income loss at several ends. Demand for a framework on employment rose further post the lockdown, especially to formalise the huge informal sector. The five surveys will be conducted on industrial establishments, professionals, migrants, domestic workers and transport sector.

Upon completion, the survey will help authorities to design a comprehensive policy for both the formal and informal sector. A plan for social security and welfare of the labour market can be actualized upon receiving the survey data. It will also allow policy makers to focus more on thrust areas and find solutions to long standing issues of the informal sector.

According to the labour ministry, the surveys will involve 6 months of field work and the results will be revealed in the next 7-8 months. Apart from providing social security to the unorganised sector as well as the gig workers, it is expected to include incentive schemes for employers to cultivate a job creation scenario in the market.

The survey on migrants will gather information on the living standards of people along with an insight into their working and socio-economic conditions. For professionals, the survey will accumulate data on the number of active professionals and amount of employment generated by them in the country. Transport survey is aiming to collect data of gig workers and employment generation the chain.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy reported an estimated job loss of 21 million salaried employees at the end of August last year. Things have moved in the positive direction since last few months with significant job creation in rural India, especially the agricultural sector. However, National Employment Policy will definitely bring a sense of relief to the working class in India.