Lok Sabha Question No. 18 (STARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Lockdown-related Job Losses among Women
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Brijendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. 18 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2021

## LOCKDOWN-RELATED JOB LOSSES AMONG WOMEN

- *18.  SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)whether the Government is aware of disproportionately high levels of lockdown-related job losses among women, whose employment was more severely impacted than men by the Covid-19 pandemic;
- (b)if so, the details regarding the number of women who have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, State-wise;
- (c)whether  the  Government  plans  to  formulate  measures  to  boost women's employment in view of the said situation; and (d)if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

* *                                                    ******

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.  18  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  29.11.2021  ASKED  BY SHRI  BRIJENDRA SINGH REGARDING LOCKDOWN-RELATED JOB LOSSES AMONG WOMEN.

(a) & (b): Labour  Bureau  has  been  entrusted  with  the  task  of  conducting  the  Quarterly Employment  Survey  (QES)  as  a  component  of  All  India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey (AQEES). Quarterly Employment Survey conducted during the first quarter (April-May- June, 2021) was also designed to collect the information on the Covid-19 pandemic impact  on  the  operational  status  and  employment  status  of  the  establishments  in  the  selected  9 sectors. The impact on male & female employees during lockdown period is given at Annexure-I.

(c) & (d): Government has taken various steps to improve women's participation in the labour force and quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in  the  labour  laws  for  equal  opportunity  and  congenial  work  environment  for  women  workers. These  include  enhancement  in  paid  maternity  leave  from  12  weeks  to  26  weeks,  provision  for mandatory creche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.

Government  has  taken  a  decision  to  allow  the  employment  of  women  in  the aboveground mines including opencast workings between 7 pm and 6 am and in below ground working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required.

The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 which provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of  the  same  work  or  work  of  similar  nature  done  by  any  employee.  Further,  no  employer  shall make any discrimination on the ground of sex while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment, except where the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted by or under any law for the time being in force.

Further, in order to enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.

Government is implementing National Career Service (NCS) Projects as a Mission Mode  Project  for  transformation  of  the  National  Employment  Service  where  a  variety  of employment  related  services  like  job  search,  job matching,  career  counselling,  vocational guidance, information of skill development courses etc. are being provided under the NCS Project on a common platform with efficient use of information technology.

Under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) Scheme, launched with effect from1 st October, 2020 is implemented through EPFO to incentivize employers for creation of new employment  along  with  social  security  benefits  and  restoration  of  loss  of  employment  during COVID-19  pandemic.  Under  ABRY,  Govt.  is  crediting  for  a  period  of  two  years,  both  the employee's share (12% of wages) and employer's share (12% of wages) of contribution payable or only the employee's share, depending on employment  strength of the EPFO  registered establishments.  Under  ABRY,  benefits  have  been  given  to  22  lakh  beneficiaries  including  5.70 lakh women beneficiaries through 81,770 Establishments. Government has approved the extension of last date of registration of beneficiaries under ABRY further for 9 months i.e. from 30.06.2021 to 31.03.2022.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.  18  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  29.11.2021  ASKED  BY  SHRI  BRIJENDRA SINGH REGARDING LOCKDOWN-RELATED JOB LOSSES AMONG WOMEN.

Sector-wise Impact on Number of Employees during Lockdown Period (25 th March, 2020 to 30 th June, 2020)

| Sl. No.   | Sectors                    | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)               | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)               | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)   | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)   |
|-----------|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|           |                            | Prior to Lockdown (before 25 th March, 2020) | Prior to Lockdown (before 25 th March, 2020) | As on 1 st July, 2020            | As on 1 st July, 2020            |
|           |                            | Male                                         | Female                                       | Male                             | Female                           |
| 1.        | Manufacturing              | 98.7                                         | 26.7                                         | 87.9                             | 23.3                             |
| 2.        | Construction               | 5.8                                          | 1.8                                          | 5.1                              | 1.5                              |
| 3.        | Trade                      | 16.1                                         | 4.5                                          | 14.8                             | 4                                |
| 4.        | Transport                  | 11.3                                         | 1.9                                          | 11.1                             | 1.9                              |
| 5.        | Education                  | 38.2                                         | 29.5                                         | 36.8                             | 28.1                             |
| 6.        | Health                     | 15                                           | 10.6                                         | 14.8                             | 10.1                             |
| 7.        | Accommodation &Restaurants | 7                                            | 1.9                                          | 6.2                              | 1.7                              |
| 8.        | IT/BPOs                    | 13.6                                         | 6.3                                          | 12.8                             | 6.1                              |
| 9.        | Financial Services         | 11.5                                         | 5.9                                          | 11.3                             | 5.7                              |
| Total     | Total                      | 217.8                                        | 90.0                                         | 201.5                            | 83.3                             |

Note: The number in the 'Total' row also take into account the 66 establishments found during the survey which belong to the sectors other than the nine selected sectors.

**************