CBSE Class 11 Economics: Employment-Growth, Informalisation and Related Issues NCERT Solutions

Solution: A worker is defined as an individual who is engaged in any activity that contributes to the production of goods and services, with the primary aim of earning a livelihood. This includes participation in economic activities that generate income, whether directly or indirectly.

Solution: The worker-population ratio, also known as the workforce participation rate, is a measure that indicates the proportion of a country's population that is actively engaged in productive economic activities. It is calculated using the formula:

$$\backslash text\{Worker-Population\; Ratio\}\; =\; \backslash frac\{\backslash text\{Workforce\}\}\{\backslash text\{Total\; Population\}\}\; \backslash times\; 100$$

A higher ratio suggests that a larger percentage of the population is contributing to the production of goods and services, indicating a more robust employment situation.

Solution: No, a beggar, a thief, a smuggler, and a gambler are not considered workers in the economic sense. This is because their activities are not classified as productive employment that contributes to the generation of goods and services or earns a legitimate livelihood. These actions are often illegal or do not involve productive economic participation.

Solution: The odd one out is (i) owner of a saloon with more than 10 employees. The reason is that the owner of a saloon with more than 10 employees operates a formal enterprise, likely registered and adhering to labor laws. The other options represent individuals who are typically self-employed or work in smaller, less formal setups (cobbler, tuition master, transport operator, construction worker) or are employees in a formal setup (cashier in Mother Dairy), but the owner of a large establishment stands out as an employer in a formal business structure.

Solution: The newly emerging jobs are found mostly in the service sector.

Solution: An establishment with four hired workers is known as informal sector establishment. Typically, establishments with fewer than four hired workers are considered informal.

Solution: Raj can be considered a worker if his work on the farm is productive and contributes to the household's income or sustenance. However, if his involvement on the farm is minimal and does not affect the farm's output, and his primary engagement is education, he might be considered underemployed or not a primary worker. The context of whether his farm work is essential or supplementary is key. If he is only helping out occasionally and his main role is a student, he is primarily a student.

Solution: The participation rate for women is generally higher in rural areas compared to urban areas due to several socio-economic factors. Firstly, poverty in rural areas often necessitates that women contribute to household income, pushing them to seek employment. Secondly, in rural settings, women often engage in agricultural or household-based activities that are considered part of their work, even if they are low-paying or not formally recognized. In contrast, urban areas may offer more educational opportunities for women, leading them to pursue higher education and delay or avoid employment. Additionally, societal norms in urban areas might sometimes discourage women from working, especially if male family members can earn sufficient income.

Solution: Yes, Meena can be considered a worker. Even though she is a housewife managing household chores, her work in her husband's cloth shop constitutes productive employment. She is contributing to the business operations and potentially to the income generated by the shop. Since she is actively involved in the shop's work, she is participating in economic activity and can be classified as a worker, likely as a self-employed individual or contributing to a family enterprise.

Solution: The odd one out is (iv) shoeshine boy. A rickshaw puller working under an owner, a mason, and a mechanic shop worker are all engaged in services that are typically part of the informal or organized labor force, often involving specific skills or employment relationships. A shoeshine boy, while providing a service, is often considered a marginal worker, sometimes operating in a less structured or recognized capacity compared to the others.

Solution:

Analysis of Workforce Distribution (1972-73):

The data from 1972-73 reveals a significant concentration of the workforce in rural areas, with 195 million people compared to 39 million in urban areas. This indicates that the majority of economic activity and employment opportunities were located in the countryside during that period.

Reasons for the Nature of Distribution:

1. Dominance of Agriculture: In 1972-73, India's economy was heavily reliant on agriculture, which is predominantly a rural activity. A large portion of the population was engaged in farming and related activities, naturally leading to a higher rural workforce.
2. Limited Urban Industrialization: While urban areas were centers for industry and services, the level of industrialization and the service sector's expansion were not as advanced as they are today. This meant fewer job opportunities were available in cities compared to the vast agricultural sector in rural areas.
3. Rural Employment Structure: Rural employment was characterized by a larger male workforce (125 million) compared to the female workforce (70 million). This disparity reflects traditional gender roles and the types of labor available and accessible to women in rural settings, often linked to agriculture and household-based production.
4. Lower Female Participation in Urban Areas: The data shows a stark difference in female workforce participation between rural (70 million) and urban (7 million) areas. This could be attributed to factors such as limited job availability for women in urban formal sectors, societal norms discouraging women from working outside the home in cities, and greater emphasis on education for urban women.
5. Migration Patterns: While some rural-to-urban migration for employment existed, it was not substantial enough to shift the overall balance significantly, especially given the large rural population base.

In summary, the distribution reflects an economy where primary sector activities (agriculture) dominated, concentrated in rural settings, while the secondary and tertiary sectors, though growing, were not yet large enough to absorb a majority of the workforce, particularly in urban centers.