Youth in Indian Labour Market: Issues, Challenges and Policies (India Studies in Business and Economics)

This book addresses labour market participation issues of youth in India, and follows an inter-disciplinary approach. It carries out both quantitative and qualitative assessments for an in-depth understanding of these issues. It collates a wide range of concerns both from supply and demand side, and instead of reflecting on the empirical questions only, the book reflects on various analytical questions as well. Some other challenges being discussed here are inadequacy of skill and compulsion to participate in the labour market, concentration in activities with excess supplies of labour, unrecognised work experience, lack of upward mobility, and working with information asymmetry. Caste and gender disadvantages are an instrumental part of the book. Problems of educated and uneducated youth are quite different and the book analyses them separately. Besides, it refers to a wide range of issues relating to occupational flexibility. It also discusses skill imparting institutions and the major lacuna associated with their functioning. Social unrest and threats to the prospects of future growth in the absence of adequate youth employment are some of the economic and political issues which the book covers. Unraveling the threads of the concerns mentioned above, the book finally comes up with policy suggestions. It is a great resource for researchers, industry watchers, and policy makers who are interested in inclusive and sustainable growth. Preface Contents About the Editor Introductory References International and National Perspective A Global Perspective on Youth Employment Challenges: What Have We Learned Over the Last Two Decades? 1 Introduction 2 Trends in Youth Employment 2.1 Global and Regional Youth Unemployment Trends 3 The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Employment with a Surprising Effect on Inactivity 3.1 Trends in Youth Employment During the Pandemic 3.2 Higher Inactivity Was the Key Outcome During the COVID-19 Crisis 3.3 Sectoral Differences in the COVID-19 Impact 4 Learning from Youth Employment Policy Responses 5 Conclusion: Where to from Here? References Labour Market Profile of the Youth: Role of Education, Caste, and Economic Background 1 Introduction 2 Empirical Analysis 2.1 Labour Market Indicator for Youth 2.2 Quality of Employment for Youth 2.3 Human Capital Development Among the Youth 2.4 Education and Unemployment 3 Regression Analysis 4 Conclusion References Youth and Challenges in Contemporary World of Work in India 1 Introduction 2 Conceptual Framework 3 Youth and World of Work in India: A Snapshot 4 Youth Across Social Groups in the World of Work: Some Stylized Aspects 5 Concluding Remarks Annexures Annexure 1 Annexure 2 Annexure 3 Annexure 4 References Employment Vulnerability Among Young Indian Workers 1 Introduction 2 Data 3 Overview of Labour Market Statistics of Youth 3.1 Labour Market Participation 3.2 Transition Between Labour Force States 3.3 Job Quality 4 Empirical Methodology 5 Results 6 Concluding Remarks Appendix References Specific Context Status of Youth’s Employment in Uttar Pradesh: Demographic Dividend or Disaster 1 Introduction 2 Data and Conceptual Framework 3 Labour Market Indicator for Youth 4 Quality of Employment Among Youth 5 Conclusion Appendix References Post-school Experiences of the Youth: Tracing Delhi Slum Dwellers from 2007/08 to 2018 1 Introduction 2 Data Collection 2.1 Data Collection 2.2 Attrition 2.3 Overview of Sample Households 3 Slum Workers: Paid Employment and Earnings 3.1 Sample Slum Dwellers 3.2 Sample Workers 3.3 Earnings 4 Concluding Remarks: Implications for the Youth Appendix: List of Slum Dwellers’ Occupations References Gender Focus Youth Employment in India: The Female Perspective 1 Introduction 2 Employment and Occupation in India 3 Youth in India—The Female Perspective 4 Conclusion References The Challenge of Youth Employment in India: A Gender Perspective 1 Introduction 2 Youth Participation in Labour Market in India 3 Education and Skilling Profile of Youth in India 4 Nature and Structure of Youth Employment in India 5 Quality of Youth Employment in India 6 Conclusion References Agriculture, Climate Change and Migration Labour Productivity of Rice Crop in India’s Indo-Gangetic Plains: A Comparison Between Agriculture in Eastern and Western Regions 1 Background 2 Data and Method 3 Results 3.1 Variation of Production and Prices 3.2 Labour Share 3.3 Value Added and Profitability of Cultivation 4 Conclusion Appendix References Irrigation Development and Rural Migration Nexus: Insights from Village Studies in Tamil Nadu 1 Introduction 2 Data and Method 2.1 Sampling Procedure 2.2 Econometric Model for Analysis 3 Description of Variables Used for the Analysis 4 Result and Discussion 4.1 Demographic Characteristics of Households 4.2 Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Households 4.3 Factors Impact on Migration of Agricultural Labourers 5 Conclusion and Policy Implications References An Analysis of Employment Effect of Projected Clean Energy Transition in India 1 Introduction 2 The Three Scenarios 3 Employment Effect of Transition to Power from Renewable Sources 4 Employment Effect of Transition to Clean Mobility 5 Conclusion References Policy Focus Education and Labour Policy Agendas, Escalating Informality and Social Vulnerability: Mapping Domain and Historical Continuities Within Development Agendas 1 Introduction 2 Labour Market Indicators for India in Comparative Global Context 1991–2015 3 India’s Education Policy Agendas and Priorities after 1947, Subsequent Labour Market Outcomes 3.1 Education Policy Agendas, Objectives, Outlays 1950–1980s 3.2 School Education and Child Labour in India 4 Conclusion References Vocational Education and Training for Youth in India 1 Introduction 2 Vocational Education and Training in India 2.1 Vocational Education in Schools 2.2 Vocational Training 3 Informal Training: Some Observations 4 Concluding Remarks Appendix References