Government economists, especially in the last five years, have taken to leading the analysis of data, not letting the data lead the analysis. https://thewire.in/labour/some-proof-required-modi-government-abysmal-record-no-jobs
The cited government economist considers every type of ‘employment’, whether in agriculture or in the non-farm sector, as a job. No development economist who knows his stuff would make such an elementary error.
So in the last three years alone, the absolute number of workers in agriculture increased from 200 million to 260 million, mainly though not only because of reverse migration over 2020 to 2022, that is not productive employment; let us note that 200 million workers were generating 15% of India’s GDP (from agriculture), and 260 million are still doing the same.
Hence, an increase in ‘employment’ in agriculture is not jobs, rather it is ‘jobless growth’.
The latest CSDS survey (in 2024) has told us that 62% of voters believe it is now harder to find a job than five years ago, and in urban areas 65% have said it is harder to find jobs.
by Santosh Mehrotra
08/05/2024