Labor Market and Employment

Based on the Odisha Migration Survey, this chapter presents the work and employment scenario in Odisha. Using the survey data, we estimated the workforce participation rate (WPR) and found that the WPR in the state varied considerably by sex (the male WPR was 73.3% and the female WPR was 15.9%). Migrants had a higher WPR than residents, and WPRs were higher for individuals in the marginalized communities such as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and those in the poorest and poor wealth quartiles. WPR by age took an inverted U curve, where it was lower among younger age cohorts, peaked at varying ages for men and women, and then declined again for older age cohorts. Agriculture emerged as the predominant occupation in Odisha, employing 40.1% of all workers; this was followed by service occupations (36.7%), construction (19%), and manufacturing and mining (3.7%). The data suggested a feminization of employment in agriculture, as 57.7% of female workers were engaged in the agricultural sector as compared to 35.9% of male workers. The occupational profile of workers varied significantly by residential status, and migration was associated with a gendered movement away from agriculture to non-agricultural occupations, predominantly in the services sector.