Rise in Part-Time Work.

   The World Bank in its World Development Report 2013 has pointed out that part time and temporary wage employment are now major features of industrialised and developing countries and that in India, the number of temporary workers that employment agencies recruit grew more than 10 percent in 2009 and 18 percent in 2010. Part time work is also on rise in India with the share of informal workers in total employment in organized firms grew from 32 per cent in 2000 to 52 per cent in 2005 to 68 per cent in 2010. The propensity of firms to hire contract workers has increased over time for all firms employing 10 or more workers.

   The World Development Report 2013 has also pointed out that when workers move from low-to-high-productivity jobs, output increases and the economy becomes more efficient. Stringent regulations that obstruct such labour reallocation do not sit on the efficiency plateau and affect economic efficiency. Government has taken several steps to provide decent opportunities of livelihood to all those who seek employment.

   A provision under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 has been made to provide at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled work. Government is taking all necessary steps to enhance the employability and employment in the country by promoting growth of labour intensive sectors such as Construction, Real Estate and Housing, Transport, Tourism, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Information Technology Enabled Services and a range of other new services. Besides, Government is also providing self employment opportunities in the rural areas through National Rural Livelihood Mission.

   Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) suggests focus on faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth for creating adequate livelihood opportunities. Such job opportunities could come from faster expansion in agro-processing, supply chains, steady modernization in farming, maintenance of equipment & other elements of rural infrastructure and the services sector.

   The Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shri K. Suresh gave this information in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha today .

PIB