Rural Employment Diversification in Eastern India: Trends and Determinants

The trends in rural employment diversification, especially within agriculture in the eastern states of India have been studied. The employment potential of different sub-sectors of agriculture has been assessed to provide succour to the ever increasing problem of unemployment. Several socio-economic factors affecting rural employment diversification towards non-farm sector and horticultural activities have been examined by using logit models. The contribution of different socio-economic variables on employment to non-farm sector and horticultural crops has been quantified by computing marginal effects of each variable. The study has suggested that for reducing entry barriers to non-farm employment opportunities, education and skill development will have to be strengthened. The tailor-made training programmes should be arranged to enhance the probability of getting employed in nonfarm activities. The participation in high-value agriculture can be ensured by improving the knowledge and technical levels of the rural households in the eastern India