The data from the India Employment Report 2024 highlights the disparity in employment opportunities for members of different social categories in India, with Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) facing significant barriers.The data from the India Employment Report 2024 highlights the disparity in employment opportunities for members of different social categories in India, with Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) facing significant barriers. Low Employment Rates Despite demands for job reservations, unemployment rates remain high among educated SC and ST youth. Only 5.1% of ST, 7.3% of SC, and 8.7% of Other Backward Classes (OBC) members hold formal employment, compared to 16% of General Category (GC) members. Informal Sector Dominance Over 90% of SC, ST, and OBC members work in the informal sector, compared to 84% of GC members. This indicates a lack of access to secure and well-paying jobs for marginalized groups. Skill Disparities Representation of SC, ST, and OBC individuals in high and medium skill jobs ranges from 4% to 10%, while it stands at 20% for GC individuals. This suggests that marginalized youth lack the necessary skills to compete for high-paying jobs. Unemployment Among Educated Youth Unemployment rates among SCs with secondary or higher secondary education (13.4%) are higher than OBCs (10.5%) and nearly equal to GCs (14%). Similarly, unemployment rates among SCs (35%) and STs (33.4%) with master’s degrees or higher are higher than OBCs (28.7%) and GCs (26.5%). Barriers to Employment The report attributes the high unemployment rates among marginalized youth to segmentation and inequality in the labor market. They face barriers to accessing formal employment opportunities and high-skill jobs due to factors such as discrimination, lack of quality education, and limited skill development opportunities. Policy Recommendations The report suggests that reservation policies should be complemented with measures aimed at: * Improving the quality of education for marginalized communities * Providing targeted skill development programs * Enforcing anti-discrimination laws * Creating networking and mentorship opportunities
While several communities across the states are demanding reservations in jobs and employment, high unemployment rates among educated Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) youth and their predominant engagement in low-paid, informal work highlight persistent systemic barriers. The data show that reservation policies need to be complemented with measures that improve the quality of education, provide targeted skill development, enforce anti-discrimination laws, and create networking and mentorship opportunities.
The datasets presented in India Employment Report 2024: Youth Employment, Education, and Skills by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Human Development highlight the diversity in employment across social categories in India, noting that SC and ST individuals occupy a lower position in the social hierarchy than Other Backward Classes (OBC) and General Category (GC) individuals. Even the unemployment rate among highly educated youth from marginalized SC or ST groups is higher compared to their OBC or GC peers.
Only 5.1 per cent of Scheduled Tribes (ST), 7.3 per cent of Scheduled Castes (SC) and 8.7 per cent of Other Backward Classes (OBC) members are formally employed, compared to over 16 per cent of General Category (GC) members. Over 90 per cent of SC, ST and OBC members work in the informal sector, while the figure is 84 per cent for GC members. In terms of high and medium skill jobs, SC, ST and OBC representation ranges from 4 to 10 per cent, while it is 20 per cent for GC individuals. Over 51 per cent of GC members have completed education (secondary +), compared to 24 per cent ST, 31 per cent SC and 40 per cent OBC members.
Among youth who completed secondary or higher secondary education in 2022, the unemployment rate was higher for SCs (13.4 percent) than for OBCs (10.5 percent) and almost equal to GCs (14 percent). For youth with a master’s degree or higher, the unemployment rate was higher for SCs (35 percent) or STs (33.4 percent) compared to OBCs (28.7 percent) or GCs (26.5 percent). These high unemployment rates among socially marginalized youth highlight the challenges they face in securing suitable employment, perpetuating social inequalities, and hindering upward social mobility.
“There is significant segmentation and inequality in the Indian labour market across social and income groups, gender and geographical regions. This implies that certain social groups or classes, such as persons belonging to SC and ST or persons in lower income groups, face greater barriers to accessing formal and organised employment opportunities in the sector or high-skill jobs,” the report adds.
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