Bhubaneswar: The employment – unemployment scenario in Odisha is no rosy.
The Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled in Odisha Assembly Saturday has revealed big on the mismatch between workforce and labour force scenario in the State.
As per the Survey, the total industrial workforce population in the State in 2023-24 stood at nearly 60 lakh (58.9) vis-a-vis around 40 lakh (38.8) in 2017-18.
The Survey shows only 20 lakh have joined the State’s work force in a span of 6 years (2018-19 – 2023-24). The average new jobs in the State per year, thus, boil down to mere 3 lakh.
HAND TO MOUTH SCENARIO IN ODISHA
How tight the employment scenario in the State during the last 6-year period is well evidenced from the following facts.
- As per NSSO and CMIE study, the labour force population in the State has been around 2.4 cr.
- If the labour force population in the 10th standard and above, including graduate and above, is taken into account, the count stands at around 1cr.
NOW, SAMPLE the following:
If the educated (10th +) labour force population, who are in the Odisha job market searching for jobs, stands at 1cr every year, the new workforce created in the State every year amounting to around 3 lakh quite clearly shows miserable scenario in Odisha job market.
ODISHA JOB PROFILE POOR; CONSTRUCTION SECTOR TOP JOB PROVIDER
Even as the State has been oft claiming that Odisha has received crores of industrial investments, the job provider profile brings the big blip to fore.
Among the 58.9 lakh work force in Odisha, a whopping 69% jobs are provided by construction sector.
The so-called industrial investments into the manufacturing sector have a workforce population of mere 16.3 lakhs.
Around 1.4 lakh jobs have been provided by Electricity and others.
WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION IN ODISHA
A glance at whole workforce population in the State, including agriculture, brings out the following picture.
- Undisguised employment high in Odisha
- Nearly half of workforce (49%) are employed in Agriculture and allied sector
- Only 26% are employed in Industrial sector
- Services sector provided jobs to 25%.
MIGRATION FOR JOB HAPPENS IN ODISHA
The last Census had documented how migration from Odisha for jobs happens. It has identified the job magnet states for people from Odisha as the following.
- Maharashtra
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
- Karnataka
- Gujarat
- West Bengal
- Andhra Pradesh
ECONOMIC SURVEY SHOWS WHY MIGRATION HAPPENS?
As per the data released by Economic Survey, in all the states who act as job providers to people from Odisha, the workforce proportion in services sectors are very high vis-a-vis Odisha. (View the image below)
As services sector happens to be the largest job provider in the country, people from Odisha move out to there for jobs.
In Odisha, too, job aspirants are moving out of the agriculture sector towards industry and services sectors.
But poor footprint of services sector in Odisha plays the spoilsport here, compelling people to move out for job.
For which, the Economic Survey 2024-24 has betted big on services sector growth in the next five years.
