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ECONOMIC TRENDS
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WAGE TRENDS
Agriculture is the mainstay of the people in
this district. The class of landless labourers is quite a sizeable
one. Hence, the study of wage trends is mainly confined to
agricultural wages and to earnings of craftsmen.
The level of wages of various categories of labour has undergone
fluctuations along with the general level of prices. During the
First World War and the period immediately following it there was
an increase in the earnings of labourers. The Great Depression of
1930, however, reduced wages very severely. The wage rates
appreciated after 1931. The rise continued during the war and the
subsequent periods. The wage rates ruled high during the decade
1941-50. Though, the impact of the trade union movement was not
directly felt in the rural areas, there were some repercussions on
the rural working class. The workers became more conscious of
their rights and conditions of service. The effect of this healthy
development was that there was an all-round demand for higher
wages. The rise in wages was higher for the skilled and
semi-skilled classes of workers.
The statistics of wages of various categories of workers are given
in Agriculture & Irrigation
section.
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