The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 31st January 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

A blurred mapping of internal female migration

Why in News?

Internal migration is a crucial form of physical and social transaction in India. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which collects data on employment and unemployment indicators in the country, has estimated it to be 27% from June 2020 to 2021.

PLFS: Origin and Objective

• The PLFS was initiated by the National Statistical Office in 2017 for frequent labour force data.
• The inaugural annual report was published in 2019, utilising data from July 2017 to June 2018.
• PLFS’s objective is to estimate vital employment and unemployment indicators like the Labour Force Participation Rate every three months in urban areas.
• It also aims to provide yearly estimates for both rural and urban regions.

Key Indicators of PLFS

• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): the percentage of persons in the labour force (working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.
• According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), unemployment involves being jobless when actively seeking employment. Thus, unemployment is not synonymous with joblessness.

Activity Status

• Usual Status: Usual activity status is determined based on the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the survey date.
• Current Weekly Status (CWS): According to CWS, the labour force is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on average in the week preceding the survey date.
• Usual status unemployment rates will always be lower than CWS rates (because there is a greater probability that an individual would find work over a year compared to a week).

Key Points from the PLFS Quarterly Bulletin (April-June 2023) for Urban Areas

• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The LFPR for individuals aged 15 years and above was between 46.2% and 47.8% in the pre-pandemic period. However, it rose to 48.8%.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The WPR for the same age group ranged from 41.8% to 44.1% before the pandemic. It increased to 45.5%, exceeding the pre-pandemic figures.
• Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 years and above was between 7.8% and 9.7% in the pre-pandemic period. It fell to 6%, lower than pre-pandemic rates.
• Employment Trends: Both male and female employment increased in self-employed categories such as own-account worker and helper in the household enterprise.