With the Panchayat polls round the corner, the Odisha Cabinet today decided to raise the age bar for government jobs. The State Cabinet raised the age limit for State government jobs to 38 years from the existing 32 years.
However, the raising of the bar in a way has underlined a sort of acceptance at the higher level of the powers that be about the prevailing high unemployment level in the State.
As per political observers, the decision has been taken by the State cabinet helmed by CM Naveen Patnaik to douse the resentment in the age group of 15-29 years over high joblessness, especially when seen in tandem with the appointment given to 6,131 teachers in Dec 2021.
Unemployed Demography
As per CMIE's (Centre For Monitoring Indian Economy) Sept-Dec 2021 report, Odisha has nearly 5.35 lakh unemployed in the age group of 15-29 years. The report outlines that while a massive 2.04 lakh are fervently seeking jobs to eke out a livelihood, another 3.31 lakh in the age-group have no gainful employment but have stopped searching for jobs as those remain elusive in the State.
High Youth Unemployment In Odisha
The latest report by CMIE puts the unemployment rate in 15-19 years at 11.55 percent, whereas the rate of unemployment in the age group of 20-24 years and 25-29 years at 7.10 percent and 5.28 percent, respectively.
However, if CMIE's Greater Unemployment Rate (GUR) is to be considered, then the rates are astronomically high.
As per the Sep-Dec 2021 quarterly report, the GUR in 15-19 years is 30.64 percent, it is 21.45 percent in the age group of 20-24 years and 6.49 percent in the age group of 25-29 years.
Significantly, the total youth (15-29 years) population in the State has been estimated by the organisation at 1.14 crore. But the labour force participation rate (LFPR) has been lower at 42.44 percent in 20-24 years age group and 53.48 percent in the 25-29 years.
The LFPR in 15-19 years has been only 2.02 percent. Even at this lower LFPR in this age group, the unemployment rate has been quoted high at 11.55 percent.
Quarterly Employment Survey Report
The Quarterly Employment Survey Report July - Sept 2021 released today by Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav holds lesson book for the State policymakers. The findings are detailed below.
- As per the report, the educational qualifications of workers who got new employment during the quarter July -Sept 2021 reveals that out of the 28.4 percent of those working in seven of the nine sectors like Manufacturing, IT/BPOs, Trade and Transport, construction, Financial Services, Accommodation and Restaurants, (excluding Education and Health) were matriculated/secondary or less educated - means in the age group of 15-19 years.
- The report further disclosed that another 37.0 percent were graduates or had higher qualifications.
- In fact, the percentage of graduates or above was as high as 91.6 percent in the IT/BPO sector and 59.8 percent in Financial Services.
- In the Health sector, as few as 18 percent of the non-Clinical workers were matriculates/secondary or less educated,
- The figure is 26.4 percent in the non-Teaching staff of the Education sector.
- In Health and Education sector, more than 40 percent of the employees were at least graduates.
The Key Takeaway
When 28.4 percent of employees in 15-19 years find gainful employment in the country, the unemployment rate in the age group in Odisha is very high. The State's poverty alleviation is greatly linked to creating more job opportunities for the youth population, observed the erstwhile Planning Commission.