Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004

The authors analyze five rounds of National Sample Survey data covering 1983, 1987/8, 1993/4, 1999/0, and 2004/5 to explore the relationship between rural diversification and poverty. Poverty in rural India declined at a modest rate during this per...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lanjouw, Peter, Murgai, Rinku
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090309082434
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4054
id okr-10986-4054
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ADULT MALES
AGE GROUPS
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL LABORERS
AGRICULTURAL LABOUR
AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WAGE EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL WAGE LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGES
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
CASUAL WORKERS
CHANGES IN POVERTY
COMPARABILITY PROBLEMS
CONSUMPTION POVERTY
CONSUMPTION QUINTILES
CORRELATES OF POVERTY
CRISES
CROP
CROP PRODUCTION
CROPS
CULTIVATION
DAILY WAGE
DATA QUALITY
DECLINE IN POVERTY
DEMOCRACY
DETERMINANT OF POVERTY
DETERMINANTS OF POVERTY
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
DRIVERS
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT GENERATION
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT LEVELS
EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS
EMPLOYMENT PROBABILITIES
EMPLOYMENT RATE
EMPLOYMENT RATES
EMPLOYMENT SHARE
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
ESTIMATES OF POVERTY
EXTERNALITIES
FARM
FARM ACTIVITIES
FARM ECONOMY
FARM EMPLOYMENT
FARM GROWTH
FARM INCOME
FARM INCOME SHARE
FARM INCOMES
FARM PRODUCTION
FARM PRODUCTIVITY
FARM PRODUCTS
FARM SECTOR
FARM SELF- EMPLOYMENT
FARM SELF-EMPLOYMENT
FARM WORKERS
FEMALE WORKERS
GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM
GRAIN
HARVESTING
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
HOUSEHOLD INCOMES
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT ON POVERTY
INCIDENCE OF POVERTY
INCOME EARNING
INCOME SHARES
INDICATORS OF POVERTY
INEQUALITY
JOBS
LABOR ECONOMICS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LAND AVAILABILITY
LAND HOLDINGS
LANDHOLDINGS
LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT
MOTIVATION
NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT
NON-FARM SECTOR
OCCUPATION
OCCUPATIONS
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POPULATION GROWTH
POVERTY ESTIMATES
POVERTY IMPACT
POVERTY LINES
POVERTY RATES
PRECEDING SECTIONS
PRESENT EVIDENCE
PRESENT STUDY
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PREVIOUS SECTION
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY SCHOOL
PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION
PRODUCE
PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES
PRODUCTIVITY DATA
PUBLIC SPENDING
REAL WAGE
REAL WAGES
REDUCTION IN POVERTY
REGULAR EMPLOYMENT
REGULAR JOBS
REGULAR WORKERS
RETAIL TRADE
RURAL
RURAL AREA
RURAL AREAS
RURAL EMPLOYMENT
RURAL GROWTH
RURAL HOUSEHOLD
RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME
RURAL INCOME
RURAL INCOME GENERATION
RURAL INDUSTRIES
RURAL INEQUALITY
RURAL LABOR
RURAL LIVELIHOODS
RURAL LIVING STANDARDS
RURAL POOR
RURAL POPULATION
RURAL POVERTY
RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION
RURAL WORKFORCE
SAFETY
SAFETY NET
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SELF EMPLOYMENT
SKILLED LABOR
SOWING
TOTAL EMPLOYMENT
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
TRANSPLANTING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
WAGE DATA
WAGE DETERMINATION
WAGE GROWTH
WAGE INCREASE
WAGE RATE
WAGE RATES
WELFARE IMPROVEMENTS
WORKER
YIELDS
spellingShingle ADULT MALES
AGE GROUPS
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL LABORERS
AGRICULTURAL LABOUR
AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WAGE EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL WAGE LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGES
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
CASUAL WORKERS
CHANGES IN POVERTY
COMPARABILITY PROBLEMS
CONSUMPTION POVERTY
CONSUMPTION QUINTILES
CORRELATES OF POVERTY
CRISES
CROP
CROP PRODUCTION
CROPS
CULTIVATION
DAILY WAGE
DATA QUALITY
DECLINE IN POVERTY
DEMOCRACY
DETERMINANT OF POVERTY
DETERMINANTS OF POVERTY
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
DRIVERS
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT GENERATION
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT LEVELS
EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS
EMPLOYMENT PROBABILITIES
EMPLOYMENT RATE
EMPLOYMENT RATES
EMPLOYMENT SHARE
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
ESTIMATES OF POVERTY
EXTERNALITIES
FARM
FARM ACTIVITIES
FARM ECONOMY
FARM EMPLOYMENT
FARM GROWTH
FARM INCOME
FARM INCOME SHARE
FARM INCOMES
FARM PRODUCTION
FARM PRODUCTIVITY
FARM PRODUCTS
FARM SECTOR
FARM SELF- EMPLOYMENT
FARM SELF-EMPLOYMENT
FARM WORKERS
FEMALE WORKERS
GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM
GRAIN
HARVESTING
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
HOUSEHOLD INCOMES
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT ON POVERTY
INCIDENCE OF POVERTY
INCOME EARNING
INCOME SHARES
INDICATORS OF POVERTY
INEQUALITY
JOBS
LABOR ECONOMICS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LAND AVAILABILITY
LAND HOLDINGS
LANDHOLDINGS
LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT
MOTIVATION
NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT
NON-FARM SECTOR
OCCUPATION
OCCUPATIONS
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POPULATION GROWTH
POVERTY ESTIMATES
POVERTY IMPACT
POVERTY LINES
POVERTY RATES
PRECEDING SECTIONS
PRESENT EVIDENCE
PRESENT STUDY
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PREVIOUS SECTION
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY SCHOOL
PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION
PRODUCE
PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES
PRODUCTIVITY DATA
PUBLIC SPENDING
REAL WAGE
REAL WAGES
REDUCTION IN POVERTY
REGULAR EMPLOYMENT
REGULAR JOBS
REGULAR WORKERS
RETAIL TRADE
RURAL
RURAL AREA
RURAL AREAS
RURAL EMPLOYMENT
RURAL GROWTH
RURAL HOUSEHOLD
RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME
RURAL INCOME
RURAL INCOME GENERATION
RURAL INDUSTRIES
RURAL INEQUALITY
RURAL LABOR
RURAL LIVELIHOODS
RURAL LIVING STANDARDS
RURAL POOR
RURAL POPULATION
RURAL POVERTY
RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION
RURAL WORKFORCE
SAFETY
SAFETY NET
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SELF EMPLOYMENT
SKILLED LABOR
SOWING
TOTAL EMPLOYMENT
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
TRANSPLANTING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
WAGE DATA
WAGE DETERMINATION
WAGE GROWTH
WAGE INCREASE
WAGE RATE
WAGE RATES
WELFARE IMPROVEMENTS
WORKER
YIELDS
Lanjouw, Peter
Murgai, Rinku
Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004
geographic_facet South Asia
South Asia
South Asia
Asia
India
relation Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 4858
description The authors analyze five rounds of National Sample Survey data covering 1983, 1987/8, 1993/4, 1999/0, and 2004/5 to explore the relationship between rural diversification and poverty. Poverty in rural India declined at a modest rate during this period. The authors provide region-level estimates that illustrate considerable geographic heterogeneity in this progress. Poverty estimates correlate well with region-level data on changes in agricultural wage rates. Agricultural labor remains the preserve of the uneducated and also to a large extent of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Although agricultural labor grew as a share of total economic activity over the first four rounds, it had fallen back to the levels observed at the beginning of the survey period by 2004. This all-India trajectory masks widely varying trends across states. During this period, the rural non-farm sector grew modestly, mainly between the last two survey rounds. Regular non-farm employment remains largely associated with education levels and social status that are rare among the poor. However, casual labor and self-employment in the non-farm sector reveal greater involvement by disadvantaged groups in 2004 than in the preceding rounds. The implication for poverty is not immediately clear - the poor may be pushed into low-return casual non-farm activities due to lack of opportunities in the agricultural sector rather than being pulled by high returns offered by the non-farm sector. Econometric estimates reveal that expansion of the non-farm sector is associated with falling poverty via two routes: a direct impact on poverty that is likely due to a pro-poor marginal incidence of non-farm employment expansion; and an indirect impact attributable to the positive effect of non-farm employment growth on agricultural wages. The analysis also confirms the important contribution to rural poverty reduction from agricultural productivity, availability of land, and consumption levels in proximate urban areas.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Lanjouw, Peter
Murgai, Rinku
author_facet Lanjouw, Peter
Murgai, Rinku
author_sort Lanjouw, Peter
title Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004
title_short Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004
title_full Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004
title_fullStr Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004
title_full_unstemmed Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004
title_sort poverty decline, agricultural wages, and non-farm employment in rural india 1983–2004
publishDate 2012
url http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090309082434
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4054
_version_ 1764389705682518016
spelling okr-10986-40542021-04-23T14:02:14Z Poverty Decline, Agricultural Wages, and Non-Farm Employment in Rural India 1983–2004 Lanjouw, Peter Murgai, Rinku ADULT MALES AGE GROUPS AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT AGRICULTURAL GROWTH AGRICULTURAL LABOR AGRICULTURAL LABORERS AGRICULTURAL LABOUR AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURAL WAGE AGRICULTURAL WAGE EMPLOYMENT AGRICULTURAL WAGE LABOR AGRICULTURAL WAGES AGRICULTURAL WORKERS CASUAL WORKERS CHANGES IN POVERTY COMPARABILITY PROBLEMS CONSUMPTION POVERTY CONSUMPTION QUINTILES CORRELATES OF POVERTY CRISES CROP CROP PRODUCTION CROPS CULTIVATION DAILY WAGE DATA QUALITY DECLINE IN POVERTY DEMOCRACY DETERMINANT OF POVERTY DETERMINANTS OF POVERTY DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DRIVERS ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION ECONOMIC GROWTH EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT GENERATION EMPLOYMENT GROWTH EMPLOYMENT LEVELS EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS EMPLOYMENT PROBABILITIES EMPLOYMENT RATE EMPLOYMENT RATES EMPLOYMENT SHARE EMPLOYMENT STATUS EMPLOYMENT TRENDS ESTIMATES OF POVERTY EXTERNALITIES FARM FARM ACTIVITIES FARM ECONOMY FARM EMPLOYMENT FARM GROWTH FARM INCOME FARM INCOME SHARE FARM INCOMES FARM PRODUCTION FARM PRODUCTIVITY FARM PRODUCTS FARM SECTOR FARM SELF- EMPLOYMENT FARM SELF-EMPLOYMENT FARM WORKERS FEMALE WORKERS GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM GRAIN HARVESTING HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS HOUSEHOLD INCOMES HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IMPACT ON POVERTY INCIDENCE OF POVERTY INCOME EARNING INCOME SHARES INDICATORS OF POVERTY INEQUALITY JOBS LABOR ECONOMICS LABOR FORCE LABOR MARKET LABOR MARKETS LAND AVAILABILITY LAND HOLDINGS LANDHOLDINGS LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT MOTIVATION NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT NON-FARM SECTOR OCCUPATION OCCUPATIONS PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION POLITICAL ECONOMY POOR POOR HOUSEHOLDS POPULATION GROWTH POVERTY ESTIMATES POVERTY IMPACT POVERTY LINES POVERTY RATES PRECEDING SECTIONS PRESENT EVIDENCE PRESENT STUDY PRESENTED EVIDENCE PREVIOUS SECTION PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION PRODUCE PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES PRODUCTIVITY DATA PUBLIC SPENDING REAL WAGE REAL WAGES REDUCTION IN POVERTY REGULAR EMPLOYMENT REGULAR JOBS REGULAR WORKERS RETAIL TRADE RURAL RURAL AREA RURAL AREAS RURAL EMPLOYMENT RURAL GROWTH RURAL HOUSEHOLD RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME RURAL INCOME RURAL INCOME GENERATION RURAL INDUSTRIES RURAL INEQUALITY RURAL LABOR RURAL LIVELIHOODS RURAL LIVING STANDARDS RURAL POOR RURAL POPULATION RURAL POVERTY RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION RURAL WORKFORCE SAFETY SAFETY NET SALARIED EMPLOYMENT SELF EMPLOYMENT SKILLED LABOR SOWING TOTAL EMPLOYMENT TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY TRANSPLANTING UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYMENT WAGE DATA WAGE DETERMINATION WAGE GROWTH WAGE INCREASE WAGE RATE WAGE RATES WELFARE IMPROVEMENTS WORKER YIELDS The authors analyze five rounds of National Sample Survey data covering 1983, 1987/8, 1993/4, 1999/0, and 2004/5 to explore the relationship between rural diversification and poverty. Poverty in rural India declined at a modest rate during this period. The authors provide region-level estimates that illustrate considerable geographic heterogeneity in this progress. Poverty estimates correlate well with region-level data on changes in agricultural wage rates. Agricultural labor remains the preserve of the uneducated and also to a large extent of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Although agricultural labor grew as a share of total economic activity over the first four rounds, it had fallen back to the levels observed at the beginning of the survey period by 2004. This all-India trajectory masks widely varying trends across states. During this period, the rural non-farm sector grew modestly, mainly between the last two survey rounds. Regular non-farm employment remains largely associated with education levels and social status that are rare among the poor. However, casual labor and self-employment in the non-farm sector reveal greater involvement by disadvantaged groups in 2004 than in the preceding rounds. The implication for poverty is not immediately clear - the poor may be pushed into low-return casual non-farm activities due to lack of opportunities in the agricultural sector rather than being pulled by high returns offered by the non-farm sector. Econometric estimates reveal that expansion of the non-farm sector is associated with falling poverty via two routes: a direct impact on poverty that is likely due to a pro-poor marginal incidence of non-farm employment expansion; and an indirect impact attributable to the positive effect of non-farm employment growth on agricultural wages. The analysis also confirms the important contribution to rural poverty reduction from agricultural productivity, availability of land, and consumption levels in proximate urban areas. 2012-03-19T19:09:09Z 2012-03-19T19:09:09Z 2009-03-01 http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090309082434 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4054 English Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 4858 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper South Asia South Asia South Asia Asia India