20.12 ndian onom
efforts need to be considered as a tool to about 19 hours by females. However,
increase employment. in the extended SNA activities, women
There is a clear shift in employment spent 34.6 hours which included unpaid
to secondary and tertiary sectors from work at home and outside, as opposed to
the primary sector. The growth in only about 3.6 hours by men.
employment by category reflects increase (ii) The declining female participation
in both casual labour and contract workers. rates in conventional surveys are largely
This has adverse implications on the explained by the high share of women in
level of wages, stability of employment, unpaid work. Based on the findings of
social security of employees owing to the pilot TUS, the NCATUS (National
the ‘temporary’ nature of employment. Classification of Activities for Time
It also indicates preference by employers Use Studies), which also provides a
away from regular/formal employment to classification of unpaid activities that is
circumvent labour laws. crucial for capturing the various activities
The multiplicity of labour laws and the of women in the economy, has been
difficulty in their compliance have been an developed.
impediment to the industrial development
and employment generation. skill gAP
For improving the employability of the
Women’s unPAiD Work population ‘skill development’ is the best
The conventional employment and unemployment tool. This can be imparted through vocational
surveys have not been able to capture the various education and training. However, there is a
types of unpaid work that women engage in both perception that vocational education and skill
within and outside households in rural and urban development are meant for people who have failed
areas in India. Globally, men’s share in paid work to join mainstream education. This perception is
is around 1.8 times that of women, while women strengthened by the significantly lower wages paid
have a share three times that of men in unpaid to employees with vocational training vis-à-vis
work. Therefore, paid work which is visible and those with formal education.
accounted for by the System of National Accounts As per the NSDC (National Skill Development
(SNA) is dominated by men, while unpaid work Corporation), there is a severe quality gap and
which is not accounted for is dominated by women lack of availability of trainers in the vocational
and remains unrecognised and unaccounted for. education and training sector. By 2017, this skill
Valuing unpaid work is important since gap within the vocational training sector including
women’s work gets subsumed under several types both teachers and non-teachers will reach a
of activities. A TUS (Time Use Survey) was figure of 211,000. The workforce requirement is
conducted in India in six select states on a pilot projected to increase to 320,000 by 2022.
basis from July 1998 to June 1999. The results There is a need of government investment in
of the survey revealed the hidden contribution of bridging the skill gap in the vocational education
women to the economy— and training sector to improve the employability
(i) Out of 168 hours in a week, males on an of people. Across industries and their sub- sectors,
average spent about 42 hours in SNA- there are substantial skill gaps that need to be filled
captured activities as compared to only up through appropriate skill development plans