The information on employment is useful in identifying trends, especially in the context of public expectations, government policies, industry developments and socio-economic dependence.
A. Global Classification and Definitions
Primary Employment |
The employment provided within the “Forest and “Other Wooded Land” by activities relating to primary (raw) production of goods, provision of services, and other primary activities. |
Primary Activities |
The forestry activities within the “Forest” and “Other Wooded Land”. FRA 2005 classifies forestry activities into three broad classes; activities relating to “Wood Removal”, “Non Wood Forest Product Removal” and “Other Primary Activities”. |
Other Primary Activities |
The forestry activities, within the “Forest” and “Other Wooded Land”, other than those related to “Wood Removal” (including “wood fuel” or “fuelwood” removal) and removal of “NWFP”. |
Source: FAO. 2004. Terms and Definition FRA-2005. FRA Working paper 73. Rome
B. National Data Sources
The employment by production and other activities in forest is not reported at the national level. To develop this information three sets of data sources have been used. First is a study by World Bank to provide employment by production and other activities in forests in 1993 to derive employment per unit (cubic meter of 000 ha) of activity. The second is information on level of production from the Reporting Table 11. Third information is on level of plantation activity is from Forestry Statistics.
- World Bank, 2000. India: Alleviating Poverty through Employment. The World Bank. 2000.
- Forestry Statistics, India, 1988-95. 1997. Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India.
- Forestry Statistics, India, 1996. 1998. Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India.
- Forestry Statistics, India, 2000. 2002.Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India.
C. National Classification and Definitions
Principal “Usual Status” or Principal Activity |
The activity on which the person spent relatively more time preceding 365 days. |
Employed in Principal Activity or Usual Status |
A person is “working or employed” if he or she was engaged for a relatively longer time during the past year in one or more work activities (economic activities). |
Unemployed in Principal Activity or Usual Status |
A person is “seeking or available for work or unemployed” if he or she was not working but was seeking or was available for work for a relatively longer time during the past year. |
Out of Labour Force (Primary Activities) |
A person is “out of labour force” if he or she was engaged in non-economic activities for a relatively longer time of the reference year. |
Principal Status “Worker” or “Employed |
A person categorised as “worker” or “employed” on the basis of principal status is as principal status “worker” or “employed”. Explanation: Unpaid helpers, who assist in operation of an economic activity in household farm or non farm activities are also considered as workers. It does not include persons engaged in collection of firewood as a non-economic activity. |
Subsidiary Status “Worker” or “Employed” |
A person categorised as non worker (unemployed or “out of labour force)”who pursued some economic activity in a subsidiary capacity. Explanation: Unpaid helpers, who assist in operation of an economic activity in household farm or non farm activities are also considered as workers. It does not include persons engaged in collection of firewood as a non-economic activity. |
Total Workers |
Sum of Principal Status Workers and Subsidiary Status workers under “Usual Status” Classification. |
Economic Activity |
It includes (a) all market activities performed for pay or profit that result in production of goods and services for exchange, and (b) selected non market activities like agriculture sector activities that result in production (including gathering of uncultivated crops, forestry, collection of firewood, hunting, fishing etc.) of agriculture produce fro consumption; activities relating to the production of fixed assets for personal use (including houses, roads, wells, machinery, tools etc. for household enterprise and construction of private or community facilities free of charge) |
D. National Data
Following table provides information on number of principal and Subsidiary workers in 1993 in selected categories (World Bank, 2000).
Number in 1993 (in millions) | |
0.251 | |
Firewood/fuelwood by exploitation of forest |
0.049 |
Gathering of fodder from forests |
0.014 |
Uncultivated materials in forests |
0.300 |
Hunting, trapping, and game propogation |
0.067 |
Medicinal plants and other Agricultural production |
0.193 |
Plantations |
4.703 |
Planting, replanting and conservation of forests |
0.532 |
Forest services |
0.344 |
Source: Census 91 and N.S.S. 93/94 as explained in the World Bank report.
Note: 1. The total estimated annual employment provided by plantations, that includes plantations of non forest species and on Other land with or without trees, is 94.06 million. It is assumed that only fifty percent is related to forests and Other Wooded lands with both sharing equal amounts. The assumption of equal division is made because there is no basis to have some other division.
2. The total estimated annual employment provided by medicinal plants and other agricultural production is 3.85 million. It includes non forest related production also. . It is assumed that only fifty percent is related to forests and Other Wooded lands with both sharing equal amounts. The assumption of equal division is made because there is no basis to have some other division.
Following table presents actual data (1990, 1993 and 1997) and estimated data (2000 and 2005) on plantations from Forestry Statistics (ICFRE, 2002).
Year |
1993 |
1990 |
1997 |
2000 |
2005 |
Million ha |
0.621 |
0.618 |
0.616 |
0.612 |
0.61 |
E. Calibration
Figure published by the World Bank from the study “India Alleviating Poverty through Employment, World Bank 2000” are taken as standard verified figures and there is no need for any calibration.
F. Estimation and Forecasting
The interpolation and extrapolations to derive estimates for reference periods are based on the temporal trends of respective groups. The employment from logging follows the trend of wood production (Reporting Table No. 11). The employment from fuelwood, fodder, uncultivated material, hunting and NWFP follows the trend of fuelwood production (Reporting Table 11). The employment from other activities (plantation and planting etc.) follows the trend of forest plantations. For this purpose, first the employment by level of activity (per million cubic meter or per million ha of plantation) was calculated based on the level of activities in 1993. Then these figures were multiplied with level of production or activity in 1990, 2000, 2005 to estimate or forecast employment figures.
Employment Category |
Employment in million persons | ||
(1990) |
(2000) |
(2005) | |
Logging |
0.33 |
0.14 |
0.08 |
Firewood/fuelwood by exploitation of forest |
0.08 |
0.07 |
0.04 |
Gathering of fodder from forests |
0.02 |
0.02 |
0.01 |
Uncultivated materials in forests |
0.49 |
0.44 |
0.25 |
Hunting, trapping, and game propogation |
0.11 |
0.10 |
0.06 |
Medicinal plants and other Agricultural production |
0.31 |
0.28 |
0.16 |
Plantations |
4.68 |
4.63 |
4.62 |
Planting, replanting and conservation of forests |
0.53 |
0.52 |
0.52 |
Forest services |
0.34 |
0.34 |
0.34 |
Total |
6.89 |
6.55 |
6.08 |
G. Reclassification into FRA 2005 Classes
Table: Reclassification (Percentage allocation) into FRA 2005 classes
National Class of of employment |
Percentage of a National Class belonging to a FRA Class | ||||
Wood Removal |
NWFP Removal |
Other Activity |
Combination |
Total | |
Logging |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
Firewood/fuelwood by exploitation of forest |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
Gathering of fodder from forests |
0 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
Uncultivated materials in forests |
0 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
Hunting, trapping, and game propagation |
0 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
Medicinal plants and other Agricultural production |
0 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
Plantations |
0 |
0 |
100 |
0 |
100 |
Planting, replanting and conservation of forests |
0 |
0 |
100 |
0 |
100 |
Forest services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
100 |
H. National Information for FRA 2005 Global Tables
The table presents national information as an input to the Global Reporting Table. The national estimates have been classified and grouped into global categories by using the classification table.
Table: Input to Global Reporting Tables
Category of Employment |
Primary Activities |
Employment in Forests and Other Wooded Land (millions person years) | ||
1990 |
2000 |
2005 | ||
A. Forest Workers |
Wood Removal |
0.408 |
0.211 |
0.119 |
NWFP Removal |
0.932 |
0.840 |
0.474 | |
Other Primary Activities |
5.209 |
5.159 |
5.142 | |
Total |
6.549 |
6.210 |
5.735 | |
B. Regular Staff |
All above Activities |
0.344 |
0.344 |
0.344 |
Grand Total |
6.893 |
6.500 |
6.229 | |
