Highest urban unemployment, but more formal jobs in the last 13 yrs: Report

Jobs for those with social security benefits, the most important measurement of such employment, rose during the last 13 years

The latest jobs data released by the government--amidst much controversy and debate--showed a 45-year high in general unemployment, but these data have also revealed a rise in formal employment--which accounts for 35.8% of all jobs--particularly in urban, non-farm sectors.

Our findings came from a comparison we ran of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on May 31, 2019, and the quinquennial Employment and Unemployment Survey of NSSO, 2004-05:

• The share of “regular” workers in urban areas increased over 13 years, from 35.6% in 2004-05 to 47% in 2017-18.
• The share of workers in the “formal”