Unemployment data is collected by NSSO after every ........

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

The correct answer is five years. Historically, the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), which is the primary agency responsible for large-scale sample surveys in India, conducted its comprehensive surveys on Employment and Unemployment quinquennially, meaning once every five years. These were known as the Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS) and provided crucial, benchmark data on the labor market situation in the country. This periodic nature ensured that reliable, in-depth data was available to policymakers for the formulation of five-year plans and various welfare schemes. While the NSSO has since transitioned to the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) to provide more frequent data, the traditional large-scale, detailed unemployment surveys were rooted in a five-year cycle (quinquennial).

The incorrect option is 1:
four years. NSSO's major, comprehensive surveys are historically conducted either quinquennially (five years) or decennially (ten years), depending on the subject. There is no major, historically established all-India unemployment survey cycle set at every four years.

The incorrect option is 3:
two years. While certain other economic indicators or smaller-scale surveys might be conducted every two years, the comprehensive, nationwide Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS) were not historically conducted with this frequency. More frequent data, including quarterly and annual estimates, are now provided by the newer Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which succeeded the EUS, but the traditional cycle was longer.

The incorrect option is 4:
ten years. The ten-year cycle is generally associated with the Population Census of India, which is distinct from the detailed labor force and unemployment surveys carried out by the NSSO. While the Census collects some basic employment data, the detailed, thematic unemployment surveys of the NSSO were conducted more frequently, every five years.