75% INDIAN ASPIRANTS GOT TEMP JOBS IN 2012: STUDY

Sovon Manna TNN 

Kolkata: Only 12% job seekers in India got a permanent recruitment in 2012 while as many as 75% of aspirants were placed in temporary agency jobs and the rest found other services as their livelihood, says a study carried out by Staffing Industry Analysts, the global adviser on contingent work. The exclusive study pegs the Indian staffing market at around Rs 26,650 crore. 
    According to the study, the Indian labour market is unique as approximately 90% of Indians work in the unorganixed or ‘informal’ sector and only 10% work in the organized or ‘formal’ sector. Of those working in the organized sector, a large proportion (68%) are employed in the public sector. The unorganized or ‘informal’ sector jobs include home-based work, selfemployment, employment in household enterprises, small units, on land as agricultural workers, labour on construction sites and a myriad of other forms of casual or temporary employment. The recruitment and revenue figures have been calculated in the study for the calendar year 2012 because Indian companies will release financial figures after the fiscal ends in March 2014. 
    Replying to an e-mailed query, Adam Pode, director (international research) at California-based Staffing Industry Analysts, told TOI, “There is nothing ominous in the temporary job market having the lion’s share of the staffing industry. This is similar to all the largest staffing markets in the world and shows the sophistication of the Indian market. Employers understand the importance of temporary workers to aid them through the peaks and trough of the economy.” 
    According to the study, Bangalore-based Adecco topped the list of HR solutions firms in India with Rs 1,460 crore in revenue and a 5.5% market share pipping India-headquartered Team-Lease, which is also based in Bangalore. According to the study, the top-three firms account for approximately 15% of the total market and the top-ten firms 26% with the remaining 75% or 20,000 staffing companies — mostly niche or boutique firms employ the rest.

Source :::: The Times of India, 04-03-2014, p.19,  http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2014/03/04&PageLabel=19&EntityId=Ar01905&ViewMode=HTML