Employment generation is possible in the rural areas only through access to land but rural labor markets all over the world are having a transformation where there has been a diversification of employment opportunities with non-farm employment having gained importance. Investment in services such as education and health are of prime importance in strengthening the capacity of rural people to leave the remote areas and compete in higher skill markets. Actually in 40 percent of Latin America and three quarters in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa rural income is generated in the rural non-farm economy. Agriculture and rural non-farm activity are interlinked. In Sub-Saharan Africa most rural families are engaged in small farms in varying degrees as one component of diversified livelihoods. Rural labor markets can be improved only through recognizing the importance of human resources and building it up through education, health and skills enhancement. Many rural labor markets are highly segmented on caste, tribe, age and gender lines. In rural labor markets in South Asia there is prevalence of work contracts and predominance of casual workers. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme implemented in India is an intervention in rural labor markets. NREGA raises the reservation wage of all workers in the rural sectors thereby providing bargaining power to rural workers. The book will prove useful to Government functionaries, economists, research scholars, and students of rural management and NGOs involved in rural development and political functionaries with a rural background.
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