Mood of the Nation survey: Farm distress, unemployment biggest concern

New Delhi, Jan 24: A survey conducted by India Today Group-Karvy Insights Mood of the Nation (MOTN) on about total of 12,141 people found that the unemployment and farmers' distress to be India's biggest concern. While 47 per cent of the respondents believe that the BJP government will be able to create more employment in its second term.

Out of the 12,141 respondents surveyed in December 2019, 32 per cent of interviewed in 19 states expressed worry and anxiety over lack of enough employment opportunities while 19 per cent opted for 'don't know/can't say'.

Respondents pointed out economic issues as a major concern. Around 32 per cent identified unemployment as their biggest concern, followed by farmers' distress (15 per cent) and price rise (14 per cent). Ten per cent of respondents were concerned about the economic slowdown as a whole.

The poll also collected region-specific data shows as many as 55 per cent of the respondents from the Western region believe that employment scenario is going to get better in PM Modi's second term. With 43 per cent, respondents from the Eastern region were the least hopeful of a turnaround in the employment scenario.

Forty-five and 47 per cent of the respondents from the South and North zones were hopeful of improvement in the creation of jobs.

According to the NSSO's periodic labour force survey (PLFS), the country's unemployment rate stood at a 45-year-high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18. It should be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's electoral pitch in 2014 elections was centred around generating jobs and employment.

He had promised to generate 10 million a year.

The work for the Mood of the Nation poll spanned from December 21 to December 31, 2019. The survey was based on the random sampling method.

The interview used the questionnaire method and the questions were asked face-to-face with respondents. The questions were translated into regional languages as well.