145;Worker ratios across social groups better146;

There's been an overall improvement in the worker population ratios for all social groups8212;Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes

There8217;s been an overall improvement in the worker population ratios WPRs for all social groups8212;Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Class OBC and others8212;both in rural and urban areas in 2004-5 after these same ratios showed a marked decline in 1999-00.

According to the NSS 61st round on employment and unemployment situation among social groups, the WPR which represents the number of workers employed per 1,000 at 50 per cent in 2004-5 was the highest among the STs both in urban and rural India. As compared to this, the WPR for SCs and OBCs was at 42 per cent.

In terms of employment in government public works on the basis of social groups, the survey found that in 32 out of 1,000 rural ST households, at least one male member found employment in public works. This is against an overall ratio of 17 households out of 1,000 in which one male member found employment in public works.

However, the proportion of those chronically unemployed defined as those seeking or being available for work but unable to do so for a good part of one year among the males and females was higher among the SCs than among the STs in rural India.

In terms of people available for work called labour force participation ratio or LFPR, this ratio at 51 per cent both male and female in both urban and rural areas was the highest for the ST population as against a national average of 43 per cent.

Interestingly, the LFPR for both OBC and SC households sampled was roughly the same as in the national average.

The sample, covering 79,306 households in the rural areas and 45,374 households in the urban areas, shows another interesting trend. While the percentage of SC and ST household population at 9 and 20 per cent respectively remained the same between 1999-00 55th round and 2004-05 61st round, the percentage of OBC households increased by roughly 5 per cent 8211; from 35 per cent to 40.2 per cent.