Question

Explain the causes for Rural Unemployment?

Answer 1

Causes for Rural Unemployment:

• Absence of skill development and employment generation: Lack of Government initiatives to give required training and then to generate employment opportunities.
• Seasonal Nature of Agriculture: Agricultural operations are seasonal in nature and depend much on nature and rainfall. Therefore, the demand for labour becomes negligible during off season. So, non-farm employment opportunities must be created.
• Lack of subsidiary occupation: Rural people are not able to start subsidiary occupations such as poultry, rope making, piggery etc. Due to shortages of funds for investment and lack of proper marketing arrangements.
• Mechanization of Agriculture: The landlords are the principal source of employment to the farm labour. Mechanization of agricultural operations like ploughing, irrigation, harvesting, threshing etc. reduces employment opportunities for the farm labour.
• Capital-Intensive Technology: The expanding private industrial sector is largely found in urban areas and not creating additional employment opportunities due to the application of capital intensive technologies. Government must establish firms to absorb surplus labour power.
• Defective System of Education: The present system of education has also aggravated the rural unemployment problem. Large number of degreeproducing institutions has come in the recent years. Students also want to get degrees only, not any skill. Degrees should be awarded only on the basis of skills acquired. The unemployed youth should get sufficient facilities to update their skills.