NEW DELHI: As jobs were getting lost by the thousands as a fall-out of the economic downturn, the Economic Survey today asked the government to review labour laws for pushing growth in employee-intensive sectors.
   
 "...There is an imperative need to facilitate the growth of labour-intensive industries, especially by reviewing labour laws and labour market regulations," said the pre-Budget Survey that was tabled in Parliament.
    
It said the manufacturing employment trends in the country are "not-so-encouraging".
    
"Besides, the growth in many industries is constrained by the acute scarcitydepleting reserves of important raw materials like coal, iron ore, natural gas and forestry resources," it said.
   
The Survey said industrial sector recorded a growth of 2.4 per cent in the last fiscal against 8.5 per cent in the year ago period. "The pace of slowdown accelerated in the second half of 2008-09 with the sudden worsening of the international financial situation and global economic outlook," it said.
    
The Survey said only two out of 17 industrial groups - beverages and tobacco and machinery - grew at robust rates during 2008-09 despite high base.

58 mn jobs opportunities expected in 2007-12 period

Nearly 58 million jobs are expected to be created in the five years from 2007 to 2012 with the non-agriculture sector boosting employment during that period, the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament today said.

In the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period (2007-12), employment opportunities would surpass the projection of about 45 million, in turn helping to bring down unemployment in the country to below five per cent, according to the Pre-Budget Economic Survey tabled in Parliament today.

"The projected increase in total labour force during the Eleventh Five Year Plan is estimated at 45 million. It is also projected that 58 million employment opportunities would be created in the Eleventh Five Year Plan," the survey said.

The report pointed out that this would be greater than the anticipated increase in labour force, leading to a "reduction in the unemployment rate to below five per cent" by 2012.

Rather than the agriculture sector, others like food processing, gems and jewellery, handloom, tourism and construction are expected to contribute in increasing employment in the 2007-12 period.

"It is expected that agriculture sector may not contribute towards any increase in employment during the Eleventh Five Year Plan," the survey noted.