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Democratizing Debate on Development |
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How the Working Class has performed in the Turbulent Years of Liberalization? Preliminary Analysis of the main findings of the Working Class Income & Expenditure Survey 1999-2000
NSA Research Team (EMAIL: researchsupportservice@gmail.com )
[It is estimated that expenditure on basic non-food consumption items has increased dramatically between 1981-82 and 1999-2000. Expenditure on education of children has witnessed largest increase for the working class families. While an average working class family was spending around Rs 25 per month on education of their children in 1981-82, the amount increased by around 1150 % or by almost 12.5 times to Rs 306 per month in 1999-2000. Similarly, expenditure on health care increased by 1037 % and on housing by 935%. The average family expenditure on transport and communication has increased by 1141% during the reference period.]
The latest all India general report on “Working Class Income and Expenditure Survey 1999-2000” is out. The report reveals many startling facts of the income and expenditure patterns of the organized industrial working class based on the data compiled from 78 industrial centers in the country.
The report states that less than 15 percent of estimated 66 lakh organized industrial employees are female. It is surprising to note that around 12.5 thousand children are estimated to work as employees in the organized industrial sector as per the report.
The proportion of earning members in the working class families have declined from 27.1 percent to 25.6 percent between 1981-82 and 1999-2000. The proportion of marginal earners or earning dependants in the working class families have increased from 4 percent to 7 percent. Around 87 percent families are single income families.
An analysis of the information provided in the report shows that the average family income in nominal terms has increased from Rs. 810 in 1981-82 to Rs. 6466 in the year 1999-2000. Such an increase may seem substantial but compared to the overall growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), such an increase seem to be a non-corresponding one. Between 1981-82 and 1999-2000, the overall GDP has increased by 11.5 times or by around 1043 percent where as the family income of the working class has increased by around 8 times or by around 698 percent. As far as family expenditure is concerned, the major increase has been on non food consumption items. The share of food and non food consumption basket reversed from 57% (food): 37% (non-food) in the year 1981-82 to 47% (food):49% (non-food) in the year 1999-2000. The average family expenditure on non-food consumption items increased by 742 percent over the period.
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