2015 job growth falls to 7-year low: Labour survey

Employment generation in eight key sectors, including gems & jewellery, handloom, leather and automobiles, was at seven-year low of 1,35,000 jobs in 2015, a survey by Labour Bureau showed.

Employment was increased by 4.21 lakh in 2014, 4.19 lakh in 2013, 3.21 lakh in 2012, 9.29 lakh in 2011, 8.7 lakh in 2010 and 12.8 lakh in 2009, as per the earlier surveys. Moreover, the October-December quarter of 2015 saw job losses of 20,000 in eight key sectors compared to previous quarter. The July-September period had seen job addition of 1.34 lakh over the level of April-June.

Labour Bureau, a wing of Labour Ministry has been conducting quarterly employment surveys since January, 2009 to study the impact of global economic slowdown on employment in selected sectors -- Textiles including Apparels, Leather, Metals, Automobiles, Gems & Jewellery, Transport, IT/BPO and Handloom/Powerloom.

"Comparison of the results for the period December, 2015 over December, 2014 shows that the employment at overall level has increased by 135,000," said 28th Quarterly Report on Changes in Employment in Selected Sectors by Labour Bureau. The survey found that gems & jewellery sector saw 19,000 job loss during 2015 followed by handloom/Powerloom at 11,000. The employment decreased by 8,000 each in leather and automobiles sectors while 4,000 jobs loss was recorded in transport sector.

In 2015, IT/BPOs sector led the race with 76,000 employment generation during the year. Other sectors contributing to the increase in employment during 2015 are textiles, including apparels (72,000) followed by Metals (37,000). During the October-December quarter in 2015, the highest increase in employment was observed in textiles sector by 37,000 whereas other sector experienced declining trend in employment partly due to festival season among other reasons.

IT/BPO sector led the decline in employment by 14,000, followed by Automobiles 13,000, Metal by 12,000, Gems & Jewellery by 8,000, Leather by 7,000, Handloom/Powerloom 2,000 and 1,000 in transport sector during the reference period (quarter) December over September in 2015. The survey results during the October- December over July- September in 2015 showed that at overall level the employment increased by 44,000 in exporting units.