Pattern of Employment in Rural Non-Farm Sector of Punjab

Historical perceptive clearly shows the agriculture cannot absorb all the growth of the rural workforce but the imperative role of non-agricultural activities recognized recently. Majority of the rural workforce is giving up farming and moving to the non-agricultural sector in rural areas. A change in the structure of jobs in rural areas is a prerequisite for the process of rural transformation. Kerala remained at the top around 73 %, while Punjab exhibited second position at rural non-farm sector (RNFS) with a labor force of 46.36% in 2011. Intergenerational Change in Occupation is noted as per the present study, as nearly 90% respondents experienced change of occupations from father to respondents. Reliance on RNFS by rural families was significantly higher in the developed region compared to the developing or backward region.