Data Anomalies in NSSO–EUS Figures, 2011–12

Employment and Unemployment Survey (EUS) conducted every five years by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) are by far the most reliable source of labour statistics in India. So far the NSSO has conducted nine rounds of quinquennial EUS beginning from 1972. The detailed information on individual workers collected by the NSSO in these surveys has provided the necessary evidence base for a wide range of research and analysis related to the labour structures in India. In the process, the design of the surveys as well as the scope and definition have also undergone changes over the years in order to make the database more robust, constructive, and globally comparable.

A major debate surrounding the EUS, has been regarding the definition of “work” and identifying “workers.” The entire exercise of measuring the work participation rates (WPRs) of the country depends on accurately identifying workers from non-workers. The NSSO measures employment and unemployment in three different approaches, namely the usual status with a reference period of one year or 365 days, current weekly status (CWS) with a one-week reference period, and current daily status (CDS) based on the daily activity pursued by individuals on each day of the reference week. The labour force indicators measured in usual status and CWS are in persons and those measured in CDS are in person-days. Normally, the usual status measures are used for most purposes as that remains a globally accepted standard measure of employment and unemployment.