Occupational Structure and Changing Economic Pattern of Population: a Study of Muradabad Division

The distribution of the population according to the different types of occupations is referred to as the occupational structure. Occupations are generally classified as primary (agriculture, mining, fishing, etc.), secondary (manufacturing industry, building and construction work, etc.) and tertiary (transport, communications, banking, etc.). The proportion of people working in different activities reflects the economic development of a country. Developed nations have a high proportion of people in secondary and tertiary activities. Developing countries tend to have a higher proportion of their workforce engaged in primary activities. The occupation has been divided into three types, Agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, fishery etc., are collectively known as “primary” activities. Manufacturing industries, both small and large scale, are known as “secondary” activities. Transport, communications, banking and finance and services are “tertiary activities” in Muradabad. The occupational structure of a country refers to the distribution or division of its population according to different occupations in Muradabad. Work and its role in society has always been the subject of considerable public commentary and debate. However the way unemployment rate is increasing, the question of work has become more important in recent years. A distinction has often been made between total population and manpower, while total population refers to the entire populace inhabiting the area, the manpower consist of only those persons who could participate in economically gainful activities in the event of need.

Colin Clark, in his work, „conditions of economic progresses, argues that there is a close relationship between development of an economy on the one hand, and occupational structure on the other and economic progress is generally associated with certain distinct necessary and predictable changes in occupational structure. He writes “A high average level of real income per head is always associated with a high proportion of the working population engaged in tertiary industries…. low real income per head is always associated with a high proportion of the working population engaged in tertiary production and a high percentage in primary production”2

Over 200 million Indian farmers and farm workers have been the backbone of India‟s agriculture. Despite having achieved nation food security the well-being concern for planners and policy makers. The establishment of an agrarian economy which ensures food and nutrition to India‟s billion people, raw materials for its expanding industrial base and surpluses for exports, and a fair and equitable reward system for the farming community for the services they provide to the society, will be the mainstay of reforms in the agriculture sector. that migrant work force shows that males are engaged mainly in tertiary sector whereas majority of female migrants enter the work force as cultivars and agricultural laborers. Siddiqui (2003) studied structure of employment and levels of economic development under two points, first employment under major occupation groups and second, the employment region. In his study primary secondary and tertiary occupations are combined together in terms of scores and average is together in terms of scores and average is calculated to present the performance of employment region with the help of score method. The level of development and its regional distribution is attempted by combining six different variables of economic development. He gives some suggestions also for the less developed area. In the same year Raikhy and Mehra scrutinize the disparities in female work participation rate in rural areas. Chadha and Sahu (2004) examined recent changes in agricultural employment in rural India with the help of agricultural and non-agricultural workers separately for male and female rural workers. Bagchi, Das and Chattopadhyay (2005), studied the growth and structural change in the economy of Gujarat from 1970 to 2000 with the help of T test and F test. He finds no increase in organized sector employment during the 1990s. The Primary sector, particularly agriculture, has been stagnant or even declining. By contrast, the secondary and tertiary sectors have shown statistically significant and high rates of growth over the whole period. Panda (2006) studied rural non-farm employment in India and Thailand with the help of multiple linear regression models. He tries to derive policy implications in the light of study that policy makers should work on the link between rural farm and non-farm sectors. The size of working force depends upon a variety of demographic, social and economic factors. Generally it is the product of the total population base, but the age structure and the demographic regime are also equally important determinants. Demographically, the birth rate, the age structure, the longevity of life, the migration behavior and average size of the family are important. Numerous other social and economic factors also influence the magnitude of working force. Socially, levels of literacy and education, status of women in the society, age at marriage and general health slandered are significant. Economically, the type of economy, availability of employment opportunities and levels of income are vital (Chandna, 2002). The structural shift in GDP share has an impact on the employment pattern or distribution of workforce in India. 1 Data provided in table 3 based on the various rounds of the National Sample Survey reveals that the share of workforce deployed in agriculture declined from 74 per cent in 1972-73 to about 53.2 per cent in 2009-10. Along with this declines, the share of employment in industry increased from 11.2 per cent in 1972-73 to 14.9 per cent in 1993-94 and further to 21.5 per cent in 2009-10. Also the share of services in total employment increased from 14.6 per cent in 1972-73 to 25.4 per cent in 2009-10.

Industry Division 1972-73 1983 1993-94 2009-10 Agriculture Agriculture Forestry, Fishing and 74.0 68.1 63.9 53.2 Hunting Industry 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.60 Mining and Quarrying 8.8 10.7 10.6 11.0 Manufacturing, 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.30 Electricity Gas and Water 1.8 2.3 3.2 9.6 Construction 11.2 13.9 14.9 21.5 Sub total Services Wholesale and Retail trade and 5.0 6.9 7.6 10.8 Restaurants and Hotels 1.8 2.5 2.9 4.3 Transport, Storage and communication 7.8 8.8 10.7 10.3 other services 14.6 18.2 21.2 25.4

Activities not classifies 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 Total Figures related to usual status of individuals. Source: Various reports of National Sample survey Organization, Planning Commission Eleventh Five Year Plan [3]. The upshot of this analysis is that whereas GDP share of agriculture declined sharply, the corresponding decline in employment share did not take place in India. Meanwhile, GDP share of industry registered an increase of 5 per cent during the last four decades (1970-71 to 2009-10). But the corresponding increase in employment share was only 6 per cent during the same period. This only indicates that the process of industrialization failed to absorb excess labor in agriculture in the expansion of industry. Thirdly, share of services in GDP increased sharply to about 57 per cent, but they also failed to register a sharp increase in employment which was barely 15 per cent as against an 25 per cent increase in GDP during 1970-71 and 2009-10. From this it follows that Indian did not experience sequence in the growth of GDP and employment in industry during the process of industrialization, but skipped to the post-industrialization phase of increasing its share of GDP as well as employment in services, though a relatively smaller increase in employment in the service sector took place. We may have to wait for some more time so those secondary and tertiary sectors are able to absorb more labor force in tune with their rising share in GDP.

In India our industrial sector is not capable to absorb excess supply of labor The debate on spectacular growth of the Indian economy during the past two decades presents a wide range of optimistic as well as skeptic claims about strong basis of this growth. While it is generally accepted that India has been able to maintain a high growth rate so far, doubts about long-term sustainability of this growth can hardly be ignored.

1. Lalan Kumar Mahto, 2014, Agricultural Development-Policy Dimension, Kurukshetra, p.11.

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3. Dr.N.Sayira Banu, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Kandaswami Kandar‟s College, P. Velur, Tamil Nadu), Changing Occupational structure and Economic Condition of Farm labourers in India: A Study 4. Chandna, R. C.(2002) “Population Geography”, Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi. 5. Bhattacharya, S. (2002) “Work Pattern of Migrants in India,” Geographical Review of India, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 40-50. 6. Chadha,G. K. and Sahu, P.P. (2004) “Recent Changes in Agricultural Employment in Rural India: A State-Level Analysis”, Agricultural Situation in India, Vol.61, No. 5, pp-249-272. 7. Siddiqui, F. A. (2003) “Structure of Employment and levels of Economic Development in Uttar Pradesh”, Geography and Applied Cartography, pp.173-193. 8. Bagchi, A. K., Panchanan Das, S. K. Chattopadhyay (2005) “Growth and Structural Change in the Economy of Gujarat, 1970-2000,” Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 40, No. 28, pp. 3039-3047. 9. Panda, B. (2006) “Rural Non-Farm Employment in India and Thailand”, Asian Profile,Vol. 34, No.6, pp.609-624.