Employment Challenges and Trends in India’s Rural Labour Market with the Impact of MGNREGA

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to look at development trends and patterns of structural change in India's rural and labour markets. The rural labour strength have been moving from agricultural sector to non-agricultural sector for a living, after a long period of change (due to pain and growth-induced motives). Although the manufacturing sector lags, the building industry is a significant growing sector that employs rural people. Some improvements in rural areas have been made since the implementation of the MGNREGA rural employment development programme, but it has its own set of problems that experts are discussing. Furthermore, the rural labour market is plagued by high unemployment as a result of both the agricultural and non-farm sectors' failure to absorb rural employees. Nonetheless, the continuing COVID-19 epidemic has worsened its situation by causing a job-loss catastrophe. The rural labour market's future will become more unclear as a consequence of Covid pandemic-induced opposite migration of city workers to their villages, which has worsened food security and poverty issues in rural regions.