Source | economictimes.indiatimes.com | Rica Bhattacharyya | Lijee Philip
An acute shortage of blue-collar workers that several Indian industries are facing after the Covid outbreak could intensify in the next few months, if the Omicron variant of the coronavirus takes a serious turn and prompts further restrictions by the government, said economists and top company executives.
Several sectors including manufacturing, ecommerce, logistics, construction and real estate are facing a manpower shortage of about 20-25%, according to data from staffing and human resources solutions firm Teamlease NSE -2.45 % Services, shared with ET.
The demand-supply gap stems from the fact that a significant chunk of the migrant population is still hesitant to return because of the fear of a potential third wave of the pandemic. The emergence of Omicron could scare away even more from working in cities, said industry experts.
Many have taken up local jobs, and the government’s large-scale rural employment schemes such as MGNREGA and Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana have also helped people earn a livelihood closer to home.
