This paper examines the employment situation in the unorganised
manufacturing sector in Assam. The findings suggest that though the unorganised
sector has got immense employment potential, the role of the sector in generating
productive employment opportunities in the State is doubtful. The sector has suffered
sharp decline in employment during 1994-95 to 2000-01, especially full-time workers
in the OAMEs segment. Though the period 2000-01 to 2005-06 witnessed significant
employment generation in the sector, a large proportion of these new jobs were part-
time workers, again in the OAMEs segment. Additionally, the share of female workers
increased in both the part-time and full-time workers category. Thus, the recent growth
in unorganised sector employment in the State has taken place largely through
casualisation and feminisation of workers, which is not an encouraging trend as this
implies decline in the quality of employment in the sector. Adding to this, the sector
continues to suffer abysmally low level of productivity, leading to poor performance
of the sector. Therefore, the paper emphasises on reformulating the existing
industrialisation strategy in the State and calls for special policy attention towards
productivity growth, modernisation and technology upgradation of the sector.