As noted above, elimination of barriers to access to productive employment
and provision of equal opportunities for employment is also very crucial to make
growth inclusive. Indeed, employment is the major means to eradicate poverty and
to reduce income inequality.
Employment – and the lack thereof – has been considered as one of the biggest
problems for inclusive growth and development in India because the population
has been increasing at a very rapid rate since independence. The quality of employment
is also very important for inclusive growth, but in India it is still very low
due to low levels of education as discussed earlier. It is also noted that the labor
force participation rate of women is only about 32% in 2009, as compared with
67% in the PRC (Figure 11.10). Thus, compared with the PRC, opportunities of
employment are lower, especially for women.