Occupational Structure of Population in the Malaprabha River Basin, Karnataka State, India; A Geographical Approach

Changes in the size, composition, and distribution of the population are closely associated with the demographic structure of the workforce. On the other hand, the workforce participation rates vary according to the stages of economic development, across cultures, age groups, and between sexes (R. B. Bhagat and K. C. Das, 2008). It is an indicator of a growing society (Pant, 1992). Thus, occupational structure is the most important demographic aspect in explaining the economic well-being structure of the inhabitantsof the region. The occupational structure, in turn, is influenced by the participation rates and related features, such as the growth and levels of farm and rural non-farm activities. An attempt is made in this study to examine the emerging trends in the occupational structure of the population in the Malaprabha River Basin area from 1971 to 2011. More specifically, the spatio-temporal analysis of the work participation rates in total and farm sectors among males and females in the talukas of the study area This study is based upon secondary sources of data, and though the study area is a natural region, the talukas or tehsils have been taken as units of study. The findings suggest that there are undoubtedly significant changes in work participation rates between farm and non-farm sectors and between males and females in the study area. To overcome this context, some developmental policies such as youth employment is one of the prime focus areas of SHGs. This can bring prosperity to workers in far-off rural areas.