Changes in Occupational Structure of Population in Jashpur District (C.G.): A Geographical Study
Abstract
Occupational structure of the population refers to the distribution of the working population across different sectors of the economy, which essentially indicating what proportion of people are employed indifferent types of work. It is a major indicator of a country’seconomic development as well as its level of industrialization. The changing pattern of occupational structure depends primarily on various interrelated factors, including the level of economic development, educational attainment and technological advancements etc. The study area Jashpur district lies in the North-eastern corner of Chhattisgarh State with latitudinal and longitudinal extension is 220 17' to 230 15' North and 830 30' to 840 24' East respectively. The present paper focus on the changes in occupational structure of population in Jashpur district from 2001 to 2011. This paper is based on secondary data which collected from the District Census Handbook 2001 & 2011of Jashpur. The main findings are that the occupational structure in Jashpur district is rapidly changing, as most people are moving away from traditional agricultural practices towards a more diversified economy, characterized by a significant decline in the proportion of main workers and an increase in marginal workers as well as a decrease in the overall working population.
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Introduction
Occupational structure is the distribution or division of working population indifferent sectors based on occupations. It is one of the key elements in manifestation of population composition of a region [3]. Occupational structure is playing an important role in the socio-economic activities in the region. It is one of the most significant social features that impacts human life [4]. The study of occupational structure of the population is an important tool that assesses the ratio of the entire working and non-working population and presents a clear picture of its entire workforce [5]. The socio-economic development of any regions depends on the number of individuals who are economically active and it is one aspect of population structure which shows how the population is engaged in various economic activities [6]. The occupational changes of a nation refer to the percentage of its workforce employed in various economic activities [10]. An analysis of working force provides a useful tool to the social scientists not only for measuring the level of social and economic development an area has attained but also for formulating future plans for mobilizing its manpower [8].
Conclusion
To conclude, the occupational structure of Jashpur district is predominantly agriculture based, with a major portion of the population engaged in agriculture and allied activities. The occupational structure in Jashpur district is rapidly changing, as most people are moving away from traditional agricultural practices towards a more diversified economy. This change is marked by a decline in the proportion of the workforce engaged in agriculture and a corresponding increase in the proportion of those employed in secondary and tertiary sectors such as manufacturing and services. Not only this, there has been a significant decline in the proportion of main workers and an increase in marginal workers, along with a reduction in the overall working population. This is partly due to a decline in agricultural activities and an increase in rural-urban migration in search of employment. By carefully planning and managing the occupational structure, the study area can ensure a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for their citizens. DISCLAIMER (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE): Author (s) hereby declare that NO generative AItechnologies such as Large Language Models (Chat GPT, COPILOT, etc.) and text-to-image generators have been used during writing or editing of this manuscript.
