UNCTAD says 13 lakh to lose jobs in Indian export units

The report said during 2009-10 India’s total exports are likely to dip by 2.2 per cent. It also noted that in 2008-09 about 1.16 million people lost their jobs due to negative export growth in sectors like textiles, a segment that offers huge job opportunities.

“Petroleum products will experience the maximum decline in export growth followed by gems and jewellery, ores and minerals and textiles and its products,” it said.

Reasons for relief

The study also gives some reasons for relief as it said the some sectors like plantation may witness a positive growth which may bring the number of job loses to 7.48 lakh this fiscal.

Another positive aspect is that the situation will improve in the next fiscal and new jobs would be created in the exports sector, which employs about 50 million people in the country. “In 2010-11, about 5.22 million jobs could be created. “No job losses are expected as all sectors are expected to experience positive export growth,” it said. With external shipments contracting for the sixth month in a row, the country’s exports aggregated US$168.70 billion in 2008-09, with a growth rate of 3.4 per cent.