Informal sector jobs hold steady in September quarter, digital use rises

NEW DELHI: Employment in the country’s unincorporated sector was estimated at 12.9 crore in the July-Sept quarter, almost at the same level as in the previous quarter, a survey showed. The quarterly bulletin of unincorporated sector enterprises released on Tuesday by the statistics office showed that the number of establishments increased from 7.9 crore in April-June to nearly 8 crore in the July-Sept quarter.Working owners continued to account for the largest share (59.98%) in the July-Sept quarter. However, the percentage share of hired workers in the quarter increased from 24.4% in April-June to 25.9% in the Sept quarter.The increase in the estimated urban workforce from 6.61 crore in the April-June period to 6.9 crore in the Sept quarter indicates a rise in jobs in enterprises in urban areas. This reflects more labour absorption and expanded economic activity, according to the survey.While the number of establishments increased by 5.3%, the corresponding growth in workforce was 7.2%. The women workforce remained robust, accounting for 28.7% of total employment in the sector. Use of internet continued to show a steady rise, indicating growing digital integration. In the July -Sept quarter nearly 39% of units used internet, higher than the 36% in the previous three-month period. This shows more and more establishments are leveraging online platforms for operations and transactions.The percentage of firms reporting some form of registration increased.