Report of Task Force on Improving Employment Data
The task force on improving employment data headed by Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya has suggested frequent surveys, extensive use of GSTN data and a dedicated central facility to improve India’s employment statistics. The draft report has suggested a host of recommendations to help the government collect more reliable, timely and relevant labour market data which is essential for appreciating employment situation. The Aayog has invited comments on draft report by 23rd of this month. The task force said that a central facility on the lines of RBI should be created to collate data concerning employment from different ministries. Among other things, it has suggested that household survey, which is currently held every five years, should be conducted on an annual basis. The task force further suggested that Annual Survey of Industries should be discontinued and replaced by annual enterprise survey using enterprises registered with the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) as the sample frame. The task force also recommended that the use of technology be enhanced to reduce the time taken in data collection and processing. The task force also noted that the data of Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employee State Insurance (ESI) and National Pension Scheme (NPS) should be used to formulate a better picture of employment scenario.