Working poor
Topic: Employment, Unemployment and Informalisation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The working poor are people who have work but earn too little to lift their households above the poverty line. They show that having a job does not by itself end poverty. In India, many own-account workers (people running tiny businesses alone) and unpaid helpers fall into this group. That is why the low open unemployment rate can exist alongside poor job quality. Class 11 also notes that self-employment does not necessarily pay more than casual work.
Example
A street vendor in Patna sells vegetables for 12 hours a day, every day. The survey counts the vendor as employed. Still, the family's income stays below the poverty line.
Don't confuse with
- Unemployed: the unemployed have no work but are seeking or available for it. The working poor do have work. Their problem is low earnings.
- Underemployment: this is about too few hours or skills that go unused. The working poor may work full hours and still earn too little.