Unemployment level in State 9.9 percent

As per the Economic Review report  2012, Kerala is in fourth position in unemployment level among states, with an unemployment level of 9.9 per cent. The three other states ahead of Kerala in unemployment levels are small states, namely Goa(17.9 percent), Tripura (14.1 percent) and Sikkim (12.6 percent). However, if the unemployment levels are taken according to the current daily status (CDS) approach, Kerala is in the second position with 14.3 per cent behind Tripura (17.2 per cent). The report indicates that among the larger Indian states, the unemployment level in the state is the highest in India.

 According to the live register of the employment exchanges in the state, there are 45 lakh unemployed persons, of which 27.4 lakh are women.

 With regard to inter-state migrant labourers in the state, Palakkad district accounted for the largest number while Idukki had the least number. The unemployment among educated youths is the major issue facing the state. The unemployment level is higher in urban areas compared to the rural areas under all approaches of measurement. Unemployment is found to be much higher among women compared to men. While the unemployment levels among women was 26.2 per cent it was 23.4 per cent among men. In urban areas, the women unemployment rate is 37.5 per cent whereas in rural areas it was 21.4 per cent. The survey points out that as the living cost is high in the state, youths prefer to go abroad seeking high remuneration. Some important indicators on employment/ unemployment level in Kerala as per the survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation in 2004-05 and 2009-10 shows that unemployment level had come down during the 2004-09 period. The unemployment rate under CDS approach during this period  in rural areas was 21.1 percent in 2004-05. This rate fell to 12.9 per cent as per 2009-10 sample survey. In urban areas, the unemployment rate had declined from 17.4 per cent to 12.1 per cent. A major finding in the Economic Review is that employment in the organised sector had declined.

In 2000, 12.26 lakh persons were employed in the organised sector. But in 2005, the number of employed in this sector had come down to 11.4 lakh and further to 10.89 lakh in 2012, a reduction of 11.2 per cent over a period of 12 years.

The share of women in organised sector employment as on March, 2012, was 41.2 per cent. In the organised sector employment, a substantial chunk was in public sector units.

In 2012, out of the 10.89 lakh employed in the organised sector, 5.77 lakh (53 per cent) were in the public sector and 5.12  lakh (47 per cent)in the private sector.

The share of women in public sector employment in Kerala is 32.1 per cent whereas in the case of private sector it is 51.6 per cent.

The branchwise analysis in the public sector shows that persons employed in the  Central government offices in Kerala is on the decline over the years. At the end of March 2000, there were 86,889 employees in the Central Government offices here. The number dropped to 76,789 in 2005 and further to 60,078 in 2012.

The percent of distribution of employment in the public sector as on March 31, 2012, shows that 47 per cent of employment is in state government and the employment in Central Government sector is just 10 per cent. The share of the quasi-governments, Central and state together is 39 per cent of public sector employment.

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