Employment rate increases by 0.6% in Jan-March

The government today said employment rate in India in some sectors grew by 0.6 per cent during the first quarter of this year notwithstanding the recession, with non-export units generating more jobs than the export units.     

During the January-March period, employment in gems and jewellery units grew by 3.08 per cent, in textiles by 0.96 per cent, in IT-BPO by 0.82 per cent and in automobiles by 0.10 per cent, Minister of Labour and Employment Harish Rawat informed the Rajya Sabha.     

In a written reply, he, however, added the leather, metals and the transport sector observed a decline in employment.     

Notably, the gems and jewellery, transport and automobile sectors were the worst affected during the October-December period last year with rate of employment declining by 8.53 per cent, 4.03 per cent and 2.42 per cent respectively, the minister said.     

During that period, about half a million workers lost their jobs due to the recession, he added quoting a study conducted by the Labour Bureau of the Ministry.     

To a question on steps to prevent retrenchment, he replied that as retrenchment fall under the "state sphere", state governments have been asked to make their conciliation machinery more effective and implement labour laws in appropriate manner.