Urban-rural, gender gap in wages: Survey

The stark difference in wages earned in urban and rural regions, which drives millions of rural poor to migrate towards towns and cities, is highlighted in the latest National Sample Survey Organisation report on employment situation in the country.

Data released under the 62nd round of the NSS for 2005-06 shows that on an average, a male labourer working on casual basis in rural areas earns only Rs 59.29 per day, whereas in case of females it is even less at Rs 37.97.

But at the same time, in urban areas, the same male casual labourer can earn Rs 80.70 per day and a female person can earn Rs 44.57.

With migration, unemployment rates in the urban regions are also increasing. The report says that unemployment in urban areas is 5 per cent, whereas it is only around 2 per cent in rural areas.

The survey says that only 10 per cent of males and just 4 per cent of females in rural areas are engaged in activities which provide them regular employment and remuneration. In urban areas, the percentage of regular wage employees is 42 for male and 40 for female.

Another interesting revelation by the NSSO report is that more than half of all workers in rural India are self-employed, with 57 per cent among males and nearly 62 per cent among females engaged in their own income generating activities. The corresponding figures for urban India are only 42 per cent for males and 44 per cent for females.

This gives importance to some of the self-employment programmes run by the government in villages, like the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, under which self-help groups are formed and involved in various income generating activities.