Unveiling the Unemployment Tapestry: A Comprehensive Analysis of Duration and Intensity in Rural Haryana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25175/jrd/2026/v45/i1/173359Keywords:
rural unemployment, unemployment intensity, severity index, socio -economic factor, rural HaryanaAbstract
Unemployment is one of the most important challenges faced by India, along with other social and economic issues, with wide-ranging consequences for the country’s economic development, human resources, social integration and individual well-being. Unemployment is more complex in rural labour markets, where employment is irregular, seasonal, and in the informal sector; traditional indicators of unemployment do not adequately capture the true nature of the unemployment issue. Using primary data collected from 1086 respondents, this study attempts to analyse the prevalence, severity, and intensity of unemployment in rural Haryana. The study employs the Person Rate of Unemployment, Time Rate of Unemployment, and Severity Index, based on the measurement approaches of Paul, Shorrocks, Motiram, and Naraparaju, which are conceptually grounded in Sen’s welfare perspective. Moreover, the Chi-square test of association is used to assess the significance of the association between the socio-economic variables and unemployment. The findings show that the unemployment rate is higher among females, unmarried people, young people, economically weaker sections, and casual labourers engaged in non-agricultural activities. The results of the Chi-Square test also indicate that factors such as gender, age, marital status, qualification, economic category, occupation, household income and annual income are significantly associated with the unemployment rate in Haryana. The study highlights the importance of multidimensional measures of unemployment, which provide greater insight into labour-market conditions in rural areas by capturing not only the presence of unemployment but also its intensity and severity. The findings clearly indicate the need for area-specific policies targeting women, youth, and non-farm rural employment, as well as skill development, promotion of MSMEs, and creation of quality rural non-farm jobs in Haryana.
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