Previous Year Question

According to the 61st round (2004–05) of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), the unemployment rate in rural and urban areas of India was approximately 8% on the basis of Current Daily Status (CDS).

The 61st round of the NSSO was conducted from July 2004 to June 2005. It was the seventh quinquennial survey on employment and unemployment. Its findings were published in September 2006 in Report No. 515, Employment and Unemployment Situation in India, 2004–05.

Under the Current Daily Status (CDS) methodology, an individual's economic activity is assessed for each day during the seven days preceding the survey. Employment, unemployment, and being outside the labour force are measured on the basis of Person-Days.

CDS-based unemployment rates in the 61st round (2004–05):

The CDS methodology also captures unemployment arising from partial and irregular employment. Therefore, the unemployment rate obtained through this methodology is generally higher than those obtained through Usual Status and Current Weekly Status (CWS).

There were three major methodologies for measuring employment and unemployment:

1. Usual Status: Assessment of employment status based on principal and subsidiary economic activities during the preceding 365 days.

2. Current Weekly Status (CWS): Assessment of employment status during the seven days preceding the survey.

3. Current Daily Status (CDS): Assessment of employment and unemployment based on economic activities performed on each day of the preceding seven days.

The CDS methodology was particularly useful in capturing seasonal employment, irregular work, and Intermittent Unemployment in agricultural and informal sectors.