Work demand under rural job scheme declines again in December

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Key Points

Demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) moderated for a second straight month in December from a year before, official data showed, reflecting the impact of improved economic activities...

The preliminary data compiled by the rural development ministry showed 24.08 million individuals opted for work under the MGNREGS in December, down 7.1% from a year before..

Data for the last two months of 2023 - demand fell 6.9% in November - show a dramatic reversal from a 17.6% jump in October...

The moderation in job demand will partly reduce the pressure on the government to pump in funds to meet the enhanced spending requirements under the scheme, after the budgetary outlay of 60,000 crore for fiscal 2024 was exhausted by November itself...

Despite the latest drop on a year-on-year basis, work demand from individuals under the NREGS rose 3.3% this fiscal year until December from a year before to 259.51 million, thanks to elevated demand between July and October..

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