Study notes
As in the quinquennial surveys, in the present survey too, NSSO collected data on some characteristics, based on which, estimates of employment and unemployment, measured in terms of three basic approaches, viz., usual status, current weekly status and current daily status can be obtained. The reference period for these approaches differ - it being 365 days preceding the date of survey for ‘usual status’, 7 days preceding the date of survey for ‘current weekly status’ and each day of the 7 days preceding
the date of survey for ‘current daily status’.
Data were collected on the activity status of all persons, i.e. for workers, for those seeking or available for work and also for those remaining out of labour force. A worker could be self-employed or enjoy regular salaries/wages or be employed on casual wage basis. Data on this aspect, along with the industry of work of the worker and his/her occupation, were collected during this survey. In order to reveal the multi-dimensional features of the employment-unemployment situation in India, information on several correlates pertaining to it were also gathered. Information on participation of the household members of age 15 years and above, in the rural areas, in public works programmes, was additionally collected. To study the employment and unemployment in proper perspective, information on current attendance in educational institutions for persons of age below 30 years was also collected. To have an idea about the skill level of the population, information on, whether the household member of age 15 –29 years, received ‘formal’ or ‘non-formal’ vocational training and whether they were receiving formal vocational training were collected.
In this round, Schedule 10 on employment-unemployment consisted of 9 blocks. The first three blocks, viz. Blocks 0, 1 and 2, were used to record identification of sample households and particulars of field operations, as is the common practice in usual NSS rounds. Similarly, the last two blocks, viz., Blocks 7 & 8, were again the usual blocks to record the remarks of investigator and comments by supervisory officer(s), respectively. Of the remaining 4 blocks,
Block 3 was for recording the household characteristics like household size, household industry, occupation, religion, social group, household type, land possessed, possession of ration card, and monthly household consumer expenditure, etc.
Block 4 was for recording the demographic particulars, current attendance in educational institutions, vocational training and some particulars relating to participation of the household members on public works.
In Block 5, usual activity particulars, both principal and subsidiary, of all the household members, were recorded.
The daily time disposition for different activities, for each of the seven days prior to the date of survey, along with the particulars of the activities, were recorded for each of the household members in Block 6. For the regular salaried/ wage employee and casual labourers, wage and salary earnings were also collected in this block. Besides, the current weekly status (cws) derived in this block from the daily time disposition data.