Learn
Games

6.8 - UNEMPLOYMENT

Interactive Audio Lesson

Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.

Understanding Unemployment

Unlock Audio Lesson

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson

Teacher
Teacher

Today, we're going to discuss unemployment. Does anyone know what unemployment is?

Student 1
Student 1

Is it when people want to work but can't find jobs?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Unemployment refers to individuals who are actively seeking work but cannot find it. We can categorize it in different ways. Can anyone name one form of unemployment?

Student 2
Student 2

Isn't there something called disguised unemployment?

Teacher
Teacher

Yes! Great point! Disguised unemployment occurs in rural areas where more people are employed than necessary, like when a farmer employs more workers than needed. Can anyone think of an example from their surroundings?

Student 3
Student 3

Well, I see a lot of laborers helping in farms even when it's not necessary.

Teacher
Teacher

Perfect! As you see, that's a real example of disguised unemployment. So remember, not all unemployment is visible—it can often be hidden.

Types of Unemployment

Unlock Audio Lesson

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson

Teacher
Teacher

Now, apart from disguised unemployment, another type is seasonal unemployment. What can that refer to?

Student 4
Student 4

Maybe it’s when workers only have jobs during certain times of the year?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! In agricultural areas, many workers cannot find work outside of planting or harvesting seasons. This leads to seasonal unemployment. Why do you think this might be a problem for families?

Student 1
Student 1

Because they won't have a consistent income throughout the year!

Teacher
Teacher

Right! That inconsistency can severely impact their lives. And in urban areas, we see open unemployment where people are actively seeking jobs but cannot find one. Can anyone think of places where we might see this?

Student 2
Student 2

In cities, like when people gather at job fairs or employment exchanges!

Teacher
Teacher

Good example! Open unemployment is indeed very visible in urban settings.

Government Interventions

Unlock Audio Lesson

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson

Teacher
Teacher

So, understanding these types is important, but what is being done to combat unemployment? Have any of you heard of government programs aimed at creating jobs?

Student 3
Student 3

I think there’s a scheme called MGNREGA?

Teacher
Teacher

Great knowledge! MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment for rural households. How do you think this helps improve employment?

Student 4
Student 4

It provides people with constant work and helps them earn money!

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! It both generates income and reduces poverty. However, the challenge still remains because many individuals have to take up poor quality jobs. What do you think causes this?

Student 1
Student 1

Maybe the lack of opportunities in their regions?

Teacher
Teacher

Absolutely! We must understand these issues collectively to develop better solutions.

Introduction & Overview

Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.

Quick Overview

This section defines unemployment and discusses its various forms, including open, disguised, and seasonal unemployment, illustrating their significance in the Indian context.

Standard

Unemployment, characterized by individuals who are actively seeking but unable to find work, manifests in various forms such as open unemployment, disguised unemployment on farms, and seasonal unemployment tied to agricultural cycles. The section highlights the socio-economic factors contributing to these forms of unemployment, particularly in rural areas of India, and discusses government initiatives aimed at addressing these challenges.

Detailed

Youtube Videos

Employment, Growth, Informalisation and other issues | Indian eco | Class 12 | One shot
Employment, Growth, Informalisation and other issues | Indian eco | Class 12 | One shot
GNG Economics | Day 20 | Employment, Growth, Informalisation and other issues | Indian Eco
GNG Economics | Day 20 | Employment, Growth, Informalisation and other issues | Indian Eco
Employment: Growth, Informalisation & Other Issues | Economics Class12 NCERT | Animation
Employment: Growth, Informalisation & Other Issues | Economics Class12 NCERT | Animation
EMPLOYMENT : GROWTH, INFORMALISATION AND OTHER ISSUES class 12 ONE SHOT | Indian economy
EMPLOYMENT : GROWTH, INFORMALISATION AND OTHER ISSUES class 12 ONE SHOT | Indian economy
Employment, Growth, Informalisation and other issues | Class 12 | Indian eco | Part 1
Employment, Growth, Informalisation and other issues | Class 12 | Indian eco | Part 1
EMPLOYMENT : GROWTH, INFORMALISATION AND OTHER ISSUES class 12 ONE SHOT | Indian economy
EMPLOYMENT : GROWTH, INFORMALISATION AND OTHER ISSUES class 12 ONE SHOT | Indian economy
NCERT Class 11 Economics Chapter 7: Employment- Growth and Informalization | English
NCERT Class 11 Economics Chapter 7: Employment- Growth and Informalization | English
Recharge Chapter 6 | Employment | Indian Eco | Class 12 | Boards 2025
Recharge Chapter 6 | Employment | Indian Eco | Class 12 | Boards 2025
Employment Growth, Informalisation and Other Issues- Full Chapter |Class 12 Economics Ch 7 | 2022-23
Employment Growth, Informalisation and Other Issues- Full Chapter |Class 12 Economics Ch 7 | 2022-23
Employment : Growth, Informalisation and other Issues CHAPTER | Class 11 Economics Chapter 6 | UPSC
Employment : Growth, Informalisation and other Issues CHAPTER | Class 11 Economics Chapter 6 | UPSC

Audio Book

Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.

Job Search Methods

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

You might have seen people looking for jobs in newspapers. Some look for a job through friends and relatives. In many cities, you might find people standing in some select areas looking for people to employ them for that day’s work. Some go to factories and offices and give their bio-data and ask whether there is any vacancy in their factory or office. Many in the rural areas do not go out and ask for a job but stay home when there is no work.

Detailed Explanation

People use various methods to find jobs. This includes looking through newspapers, seeking help from friends and family, or physically going to workplaces to inquire about job openings. In urban areas, job seekers might wait in specific places hoping to get casual work for the day. However, in rural areas, many individuals may not actively search for work but rather remain at home, especially if there is no immediate employment available.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine a person named Raj who has lost his job. He checks newspapers every morning for job listings, asks his friends if they know of any openings, and even goes to a nearby office to inquire about vacancies. Meanwhile, his cousin in a rural area may simply wait at home, hoping for someone to call him for work instead of actively searching.

Defining Unemployment

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

The National Statistical Office defines unemployment as a situation in which all those who, owing to lack of work, are not working but either seek work through employment exchanges, intermediaries, friends or relatives or by making applications to prospective employers or express their willingness or availability for work under the prevailing condition of work and remunerations.

Detailed Explanation

Unemployment is defined as the state where individuals are unable to find work despite actively seeking it. This includes people registering at employment exchanges, reaching out through various networks, or applying to potential employers. The definition emphasizes both the lack of work and the efforts made by individuals to secure employment.

Examples & Analogies

Consider a woman named Aisha who has graduated and is actively looking for a job in her field. She frequently visits job portals, attends interviews, and registers at local employment agencies. Despite her efforts, if she does not secure a job within a certain timeframe, she is categorized as unemployed.

Types of Unemployment

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

There are different types of unemployment in our economy. The situation described in the first paragraph of this section is called open unemployment. Economists call unemployment prevailing in Indian farms as disguised unemployment. What is disguised unemployment? Suppose a farmer has four acres of land and he actually needs only two workers and himself to carry out various operations on his farm in a year, but if he employs five workers and his family members such as his wife and children, this situation is known as disguised unemployment.

Detailed Explanation

There are several kinds of unemployment. Open unemployment refers to individuals who are actively looking for work but cannot find any. Disguised unemployment occurs in the agricultural sector, where more people are employed than are necessary. For instance, a farmer may hire more workers than needed, resulting in some of them being underutilized. This creates a scenario where they appear to be employed but are not contributing effectively to production.

Examples & Analogies

Think about a family-owned farm run by Deepak. He employs five people to manage his two-acre farm when he could manage it with just two employees. The extra workers end up having little to do, making it seem like there are more jobs available than actually needed. They are technically employed but are not efficiently contributing to the work, demonstrating disguised unemployment.

Seasonal Unemployment

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

You may have noticed that many people migrate to an urban area, pick up a job and stay there for some time, but come back to their home villages as soon as the rainy season begins. Why do they do so? This is because work in agriculture is seasonal; there are no employment opportunities in the village for all months in the year. When there is no work to do on farms, people go to urban areas and look for jobs.

Detailed Explanation

Seasonal unemployment occurs when individuals are unable to find work during certain times of the year, particularly in agriculture where work is limited to specific seasons. Workers often migrate to urban areas for additional employment during off-seasons, returning home when farming work resumes.

Examples & Analogies

Consider farmers like Ramesh, who work on rice farms. During the rainy season, when the rice is planted and harvested, he stays home. However, as the planting season concludes and there's little work left, Ramesh travels to the city, seeking daily labor jobs until the next season begins. His pattern illustrates seasonal unemployment.

Government Initiatives on Employment

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

The Central and State governments take initiatives and generate employment to facilitate a decent living for low-income families through various measures.

Detailed Explanation

Government initiatives aimed at generating employment focus on supporting low-income families and providing job opportunities through various programs. These efforts can involve direct job creation or generating additional employment in industries and sectors that benefit the community.

Examples & Analogies

For example, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act guarantees 100 days of wage employment for rural households. Imagine if a community in a rural village organizes a group to build roads or improve local infrastructure—these initiatives create jobs and improve living conditions for the workers involved.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Unemployment: A state of being without any work despite seeking employment.

  • Open Unemployment: Clear absence of jobs visible in urban settings.

  • Disguised Unemployment: More individuals in a job than needed, evident in agricultural settings.

  • Seasonal Unemployment: Fluctuating employment due to seasonal work cycles.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • In a rural village, a farmer employs five workers when only three are needed, leading to disguised unemployment.

  • During the monsoon season, many agricultural workers are unable to find work, illustrating seasonal unemployment.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • Unemployment means seeking a chance, but finding no work to advance.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Imagine a farmer with too many workers on his land; they all wait for the harvest but no one does more than stand.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • U-O-D-S - Remember Unemployment, Open, Disguised, Seasonal.

🎯 Super Acronyms

U.N.E.M.P - Unqualified, Needing Employment, Making Pleas.

Flash Cards

Review key concepts with flashcards.

Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Unemployment

    Definition:

    A situation in which individuals who are unable to find work despite actively seeking employment.

  • Term: Open Unemployment

    Definition:

    Visible unemployment where people are actively seeking jobs but cannot find one.

  • Term: Disguised Unemployment

    Definition:

    A situation where more people are employed than necessary, often seen in agriculture.

  • Term: Seasonal Unemployment

    Definition:

    Unemployment that occurs at certain times of the year, especially in agriculture.