ABSTRACT
Higher education has a very close relation with growth because it shapes the human resource base for all economic activity. It is therefore crucial to study the linkages between education attainment and employment patterns, both in terms of stocks and flows, to ascertain the focus for policy change. The quinquennial employment survey rounds conducted by NSSO are another important data source for studying the workforce of India and its education attainments. The survey captures the education level, employment status and nature of occupation at the individual level. However, panel data is partially available showing the relation between employment and education profile. An interesting insight that emerges from the data in this chapter is that even though the rate of employment amongst the highly educated has been rising with economic growth over the past decade, the rate of unemployment is higher amongst those who have studied beyond school level compared to those with lower education levels.
