Do employment quotas explain the occupational choices of disadvantaged minorities in India?

This article investigates the effects of a large-scale public sector employment quota policy for disadvantaged minorities (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) in India on their occupational choices, as defined by skill level, during the 1980s and 1990s. We find that, first, the employment quota p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International review of applied economics 2012-07, Vol.26 (4), p.489-513
Main Authors: Howard, Larry L., Prakash, Nishith
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affirmative action
caste
Economic forecasts
Economics
Employment
employment quota
India
Minorities
Minority & ethnic groups
Occupational choice
Occupations
Population policy
Public sector
Quotas
skill
Skills
Social policy
Socioeconomic status
Studies
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Summary:This article investigates the effects of a large-scale public sector employment quota policy for disadvantaged minorities (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) in India on their occupational choices, as defined by skill level, during the 1980s and 1990s. We find that, first, the employment quota policy significantly affects the occupational structure of both disadvantaged minority populations. In response to the employment quotas, individuals belonging to the Scheduled Caste group are more likely to choose high-skill occupations and less likely to choose low- and middle-skill occupations, while individuals belonging to the Scheduled Tribe group are less likely to choose high-skill occupations and more likely to choose low- and middle-skill occupations. Second, the impact of the employment quotas is significantly related with an individual's years of schooling. Overall, the results indicate that the employment quota policy changes the occupational choices of individuals within the targeted populations and contributes to their improved socio-economic standing.
ISSN:0269-2171
1465-3486
DOI:10.1080/02692171.2011.619969