Better data needed on job scenario

"There are lies, damned lies, and statistics,” the 19th century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli famously said. Today, his description of questionable data may be applied, somewhat facetiously, to Indian labour statistics. The problem is not that they are “fake”, but rather that they give only a partial and sometimes inaccurate view of India’s job situation. Not surprisingly, the publication of these statistics has stirred up a heated debate as to whether India is undergoing a period of jobless growth.

At face value, Labour Bureau data are quite alarming. Take a closer look, however, and we find some significant gaps.

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