Rural Employment Diversification in Eastern India: Trends and Determinants

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