The worker-population ratio, the proportion of people employed to the total population, was 54 per cent for males in both rural and urban India, as per the results of the 15th annual survey of household consumer expenditure and employment-unemployment situation in India carried out by the NSSO.
Among females, the corresponding WPR was 24 per cent in rural areas, another 8 per cent having pursued some economic activity in a subsidiary capacity during the year.
Among urban females, the WPR according to usual principal status was 12 per cent, with another 3 per cent pursuing some economic activity in a subsidiary capacity.
In the urban areas, about 60 per cent of male and 50 per cent of female workers, as identified by the usual status approach, were found engaged in tertiary sector activities.
In rural areas, agriculture was the predominant employer with 71 per cent of male workers and 85 per cent of female workers engaged in farm activities.
The survey covered a sample of 41,013 households spread over 6553 villages and 3757
Monthly per capita expenditure in urban areas was Rs 1,022 crore (Rs 10.22 billion) in 2003, a steep 84 per cent higher than Rs 554 in rural areas, said an official press release.
In 2003, people with an average MPCE below Rs 470, constituted 50 per cent of the rural population while 13 per cent had an MPCE below Rs 300.
Among the urban population, 80 per cent of the population had an MPCE above Rs 500, while 16 per cent had a monthly consumption expenditure of above Rs 1,500, said the release.
At the all-India level, three households per 1000 rural households and one household per 1000 urban households said they did not get enough to eat (by their own assessment) in any month of the year. Thirteen households per 1000 rural households and 3 households per 1000 urban households said they got enough to eat in some months of the year but not all.
The release further added that the proportion of urban households using LPG as cooking fuel rose to 55 per cent in 2003 compared with 47 per cent in 2000-01.
Among rural households, the proportion increased to 9 per cent from 7 per cent in 2000-01.The proportion of rural households living in katcha structures was 21 per cent in 2003 compared with 30 per cent in 2000-2001.
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