Vulnerable employment affects three out of four workers in India
According to the International Labor Organization’s report, “World Employment and Social Outlook- Trends 2018", the global unemployment rate have been stabilizing after a rise in 2016. It also stated that the Asia-Pacific region including India would add 23 million jobs between 2017-19. However, the report also suggests that most of these jobs created will be of poor quality.
Guy Ryder ILO Director-General shares his on his thoughts in the report that "Decent work deficits remain widespread. Almost 1.4 billion workers globally are estimated to be in vulnerable employment in 2017 - a majority live in Asia - and an additional 17 million are expected to join the ranks per year in 2018 and 2019.”
Vulnerable employment, as defined by the United Nations is the sum of employment status group of own-account workers and contributory family workers. They are less likely to have formal work arrangements and therefore, are more likely to lack decent working conditions. According to the report, 77 percent of workers in India will have vulnerable employment by 2019. Projections show that 72 percent of workers in Southern Asia, 46 percent in South-Eastern Asia and the Pacific, and 31% in Eastern Asia will have vulnerable employment by 2019.
As of 2017, 23.4 percent of the working population was in extreme or moderate poverty, declining from over 44 percent a decade back. The report also states that by 2019, India will have 18.9 million unemployed people or 9.76 percent of such population worldwide which is an increase from 18.3 million in 2017.