Centre to restart quarterly jobs, migrant surveys in Jul
NEW DELHI: The Union labour ministry will start two key surveys—one that will capture job creation at establishments and the second on the socio-economic condition of migrants— in July, a move that will determine the course of India’s policy response to joblessness and migrant welfare.
After several false starts, the ministry will initiate the jobs survey across establishments, physically in both manufacturing and services sectors, starting next month.
The surveys were earlier supposed to start in April, but the pandemic’s second wave disrupted the plan. Subsequently, the labour bureau decided to do the quarterly jobs survey telephonically from late May, but the severity of the pandemic put paid to the plan.
“We are going ahead with both the surveys from next month, and most of the homework will be finished by the end
of June,” said D.P.S. Negi, director-general of the labour bureau—the survey and data arm of the ministry.
“The pandemic impacted our work, but with things improving and the number of fresh cases coming down gradually, we are ready for both the surveys,” said Negi, who is also the central chief labour commissioner.
Similarly, the migrants’ surstatement. vey, which was suspended about three years ago, will start afresh from next month to track the socio-economic impact of two waves of Covid-19 on the lives and earnings of migrants.
The Supreme Court had also asked authorities to register migrants and informal workers so that their welfare measures reach beneficiaries smoothly.
“The migrants’ survey will have a short- and long-term outcome for policymaking and is expected to give clarity on their numbers, work and socio-economic conditions. It will also give us a sense about their shifting preference of jobs if any, and their mobility pattern,” said Negi, adding that the enumerators will be using hand-held digital devices to maintain social distance and faster computation of data.
The labour bureau is planning to survey around 300,000 migrant households. The quarterly establishment survey will gather primary job creation numbers from 150,000 companies.