GOVT LIKELY TO PLUG GAPS FOR ‘RELIABLE’ JOBS DATA BY NEXT YR

India’s government plans to bridge the gaps in employment data by next year, with officials gathering details on the job status of about half a billion workers to improve policy making, according to people familiar with the matter.

For the informal sector, which covers over 75% of the workforce, the government will derive data from surveys of migrant laborers and domestic workers as well as information submitted through a new online portal, the people said, asking not to be identified citing rules.

The push to collect data could help Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration formulate better policies to create jobs and offer skills training given that the informal sector accounts for roughly half of India’s GDP. This has become all the more crucial after the mass exodus of migrant workers due to a Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year led to a labour shortage in cities and affected the efficacy of government programs. Economists have described India’s jobs data as outdated and inadequate, with the government coming up short in addressing the problem. Markets and academicians prefer to rely on the survey-based unemployment data from the Centre.