Underemployment is more serious than Unemployment

Underemployment is more serious than Unemployment

While opposition claims unemployment is on the rise, NITI Aayog presented its report that says severe underemployment is a more serious issue faced by the nation at present as compared to unemployment. It is being said that the work that could be done by a single person is being assigned to two or more and the pay is being divided which is leading to severe underemployment in the country.

Unemployment, according to our age old beliefs is the main culprit of poverty in India. However, the new report is a contrast that could either be misleading from facts or an eye opener towards changing our views.

For

1. Going by report

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), which is in charge of tracking India's employment situation, is of the view that employment rate is low but stable and this has been consistent over three decades. This is in contrast to the claims of low job growth. Jobs have indeed increased but growth prospects have been decreasing which is leading to serious underemployment.

2. Less contribution to GDP

One of the sure shot ways to know growth in employment is to know the contribution of the working sector in the economy’s GDP. Statistics suggest that even though firms employing more people have increased in the past two years, there is very less contribution to the country’s GDP coming from the workforce of the newly employing firms.

3. Lesser jobs

Graduate engineers and IT students are mostly jobless in our country due to the scarcity of jobs. Placement cells are unable to provide them with interview in their core subjects which forces them to divert to another field in which they are untrained, naive fresher. They don’t get properly paid in these jobs due to lack of experience or credentials leading to severe underemployment.

4. Compromise

The future of the nation, youth are being forced to compromise with small jobs that pay peanuts for salary even though they are qualified to earn thrice the present salary. They are not only discouraged but also strive to meet ends in the meagre salary, leading to depression, student suicide, aggression, etc. among the many problems faced by youth in India.

5. Women

It is a known fact that women in our country are paid lesser for the same job with the same amount of educational qualification and experience. This is underemployment. Housewives are mostly either unemployed or work part-time or work from home which is also causing underemployment in the female population of the country.

Against

1. Something is better than nothing

Being unemployed can never be a less serious problem than being underemployed. Underemployed people have something to do at least. They are earning even if it is far lesser than what they expected or deserve. They are able to make ends meet. Unemployed, on the other hand, goes rogue sooner or later.

2. Ask engineering graduates

They will take up any job in their core field of mechanical engineering, for instance. Even if the pay is just 15-20k, they are willing to take it to add to their experience list. The demand for a few years of experience before they could join a stable company is absurd because there are no openings for them at present.

Underemployment could be a serious issue, no doubt, but it cannot be said it is worse than unemployment at any level because when someone is underemployed, they are still earning and making their ends meet. With unemployment, everything comes to a stand still.