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Informist, Monday, Aug 5, 2024

 

MUMBAI – There is a huge disparity between young working men and women in rural India, according to a new joint report by the Development Intelligence Unit, Transform Rural India, and the Global Development Indicator.

 

Just over half of the men aged 18-25 years, who were surveyed for the report, were currently working. In contrast, only a fourth of female respondents in the same age group were currently employed, the 'State Of Rural Youth Employment Report' said. A total of 5,169 men and women between the age of 18 and 35 years were interviewed for the survey across 21 Indian states.

 

Among older male youth aged between 26-35 years, nearly 85% said they were engaged in paid work, and nearly 10% said they used to work but were currently unemployed. On the other hand, only 40% of women in the same age group said they were currently working, a fourth reported having dropped out of the workforce, and a third reported never having worked for pay.

 

"These findings highlight a gender disparity where most employed individuals were male, while a majority of those who had never worked were female," the report said.

 

Of those currently working, 70% to 85% expressed a desire to change their jobs, the report said. A majority of the total respondents showed interest in starting small manufacturing, retail, or trading ventures. However, younger women preferred secure salaried positions in government roles.

 

Women seeking salaried positions preferred teaching roles, followed by clerical positions like accounting and customer-facing jobs at front desks, while sales and marketing roles were less favoured. Men favoured teaching, accounting and clerical roles, and also factory work. "These preferences reflect the growing demand for these occupations in rural India and the increasing popularity of gig work," the report said.

 

Trends from the report suggested that young men and women are aspiring towards general and transferable skills across job types. This includes basic information technology skills, presentation, etiquette and basic business conversational skills, and other soft skills which help improve critical thinking, enhance cognitive flexibility, and enhance overall workplace acumen, the report said.

 

Agriculture and self-employment, which traditionally absorb rural labour, are not seen as aspirational career paths among rural youth in their current state, the report said. 

 

Over 60% of men, and over 70% of women respondents said they preferred to work in or near their village rather than migrate for employment, regardless of income potential, the report said.  End

 

Reported by Shubham Rana

Edited by Vidhi Verma

 

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