Futility of 'high-frequency' jobs data

Real improvement in employment conditions in India can only come from economic growth

Of late, much has been said about the alleged paucity of statistical information on employment in India. Many commentators have lamented the non-availability of “high-frequency” data and have gone on to argue that availability of such data is very important for policy-making. Much has been left unsaid, however. Few have elaborated on the kind of “high-frequency” data that are required. And no one has said how their availability will help policy-making. The commentators seem to believe that answers to these questions are pretty much self-evident. But are they?

Suppose we start producing quarterly estimates of the unemployment rate. What would this