NEW DELHI: Unemployment increased, though marginally, in rural areas among males belonging to scheduled castes (SC) and other backwards castes (OBC) between 2009-10 and 2011-12, according to a NSSO survey.
During the period, the unemployment rate among males in rural areas increased from 1.7% to 2% for SCs and from 1.4% to 1.7% for OBCs while it decreased marginally from 1.7% to nearly 1.3% for STs and 2% to 1.8% for those in ‘Others’ category.
Among women living in rural areas, the unemployment rate for STs increased from 0.9% in 2009-10 to 1.1% in 2011-12 and for OBCs it increased from 1.4% to 1.7% during the same period. It remained almost at the same level for SCs (1.5% in 2009-10 compared to 1.4% in 2011-12) and ‘Others’ category (2.5% in 2009-10 compared to 2.4% in 2011-12).
In cities and towns, the unemployment rate among males decreased for STs (from 4.4% in 2009-10 to 3.4% in 2011-12 and OBC (from 2.8% to 2.5% during the period) while remaining at the same level for SCs (3.1% to 3.2%) and increased for Others (2.7% to 3.4% during the same period).
The unemployment among ST and SC women living in urban areas has increased. It went up from 4.3% in 2009-10 to 4.8% in 2011-12 for STs and from 4.2% to 4.5% for SCs during the same period. However, the unemployment decreased for among OBC women living in cities and towns (from 6.2% to 4.7%) and remained at the same level for Others (6.2% in 2009-10 and 6.3% in 2011-12).
In 2011-12, the unemployment rate was lowest among the SC women in cities at 4.5%, while ST women were better placed in villages with unemployment rate at 1.1%. As per the survey, among females in urban areas, unemployment rate was the highest among ‘Others’ category (6.3%), it was 4.8% among STs, 4.7% among OBCs and 4.5% among SCs.
Among females in rural areas, unemployment rate was 2.4% among Others, 1.7% among OBCs, 1.4% among SCs and 1.1% among STs. In rural areas, the unemployment rate for males was 2% for SCs, 1.7% for OBCs, 1.8% for Others and 1.3% among STs.
In urban areas, unemployment rate among males was the highest for ST and Others category (nearly 3.4% each), 3.2% among SC and 2.5% among OBC category.
