The Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH) & Centre for Policy Research (CPR)

are pleased to invite you to an Urban Workshop (n°165)

by

Arup MITRA

(Professor, South Aisan University, Delhi)

on

Barriers to Employment 

on

About talk: The industry-urban nexus, and later the extension of the framework in terms of possible linkages between servicification of the economy and urbanisation, are widely known in the urban studies literature. However, many empirical studies have noted that the structural transformation in terms of value added is not necessarily instrumental to urban growth, rather structural transformation in terms of employment results in rapid urbanisation. The present study investigates the mismatch between the structural change in terms of value-added and occupational compositions, or in other words, what are the barriers to employment growth. Besides, whether economic growth is able to generate adequate and productive employment opportunities given the voluminous supplies of labour and the new entrants to the labour market, is a key question. The analysis considers three important indicators of employment, namely, employment elasticity, employment growth and regular wage employment share as a proxy for quality employment. The findings confirm the importance of physical, communicational and social infrastructure in augmenting the employment elasticity, employment growth and quality employment.

Speaker:

Currently a Professor with the South Asian University, Arup Mitra was previously Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Delhi. He has also been the Director General of NILERD (formerly IAMR), GOI. His other prestigious positions include being senior researcher at ILO, Geneva, holding the Indian Economy Chair at Sciences Po. Paris, a visiting scholarship at Institute of Developing Economies, Japan and visiting professorship at Nagoya University, Japan. His research interest includes development economics, urban issues, labour and welfare, corruption, industrial growth and productivity, services sector, and gender inequality.

This is the hundred and sixty-five (165) in a series of Urban Workshops planned by the Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH), New Delhi and Centre for Policy Research (CPR). These workshops seek to provoke public discussion on issues relating to the development of the city and try to address all its facets including its administration, culture, economy, society and politics. For further information, please contact: Stéphanie Tawa Lama of CSH at tawalama@ehess.fr, Mukta Naik at mukta@cprindia.org or Marie-Hélène Zerah at marie-helene.zerah@ird.fr