Social security enrolment of workers is not a good measure of how many new jobs are created
EMPLOYMENT data has always been a subject of debate in India, more so now that the surge in social security enrolments is being cited as evidence to press home that 41.26 lakh new jobs were created between September 2017 and April this year. The Central Statistics Office data earlier this month raises more questions than it answers. Labour ministry sources too are wary of giving any straight ans wer on the doubts raised. “We can’t distinguish between formal isation and new jobs,” says a senior official, referring to the surge in the number of employees who have come under social security schemes such as Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS). The surge in enrolment is mostly due to the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY), under which the government pays the employer’s share of contribution in the social security schemes for three years. Covering new employees earning up to Rs 15,000 per month, the government has to pay 3.67 percent as EPS and 8.33 percent as EPF contributions during that period. As a result, 54 lakh employees have been enrolled in the two schemes in less than two years, and the government has contributed Rs 1,200 crore to meet the employers’ commitment.
As against the government target of five lakh enrolments per year, labour ministry officials point out the enrolments have far surpassed the targets as companies strive to push for formalising employment during the three-year incentive period. “Unfortunately, everybody is going by provident fund data, which was never considered important in the past for tracking employment,” says Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) secretary-general Vrijesh Upadhyay, who is also a member of the EPFO’s central board of trustees.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 30, 2018-Ausgabe von Outlook.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 30, 2018-Ausgabe von Outlook.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
The 'Invisible' Dalits
The debate over sub-categorisation of castes is likely to shape the political discourse in the upcoming state elections
Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.