BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

section ii- TRADE AND COMMERCE: EXTENT OF EMPLOYMENT

Trade and commerce provide employment to a considerable number of persons in the district. In keeping with the rising tempo of general economic development, trade activities have increased considerably during the last three decades. As per the 1961 Census [Census of India, Sholapur District, 1961, p. 53.] the total number of persons engaged in trade and commerce in the district was 32,591, out of which 8,681 or 26.64 per cent were in rural areas and 23,910 or 73.36 per cent were in urban areas. The number of workers in trade and commerce forms 4 per cent of the workers in the district. About 45 per cent of the district total was enumerated in North Sholapur taluka only. About 12.32 per cent of the workers in trade and commerce were engaged in wholesale trade, 83.98 per cent in retail trade and only 3.70 per cent in miscellaneous trade and commerce. About 93.25 per cent of the wholesalers are in urban areas. The number of wholesalers trading exclusively in cereals and pulses was 355. Mostly the wholesale trade of cereals and pulses appeared to be combined with wholesale trade of gur, sugar, spices, groundnut-oil, etc., as the number for this group was 641 for the district. Table Nos. 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 give the distribution of workers in trade and commerce in the district for the years 1921, 1931, 1951, 1961 and 1971.

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