Q.What is the main feature of rural unemployment ?

Rural unemployment is chiefly disguised and seasonal — surplus workers on land add nothing to output, and agricultural work is available only in certain seasons.

Unemployment in rural India differs from urban open unemployment. Its main features are:

• Disguised unemployment — more persons are engaged in agriculture than are actually needed; if some are withdrawn, total output does not fall. Their marginal productivity is nearly zero, so they are unemployed in reality though they appear employed.
• Seasonal unemployment — farming needs labour only during sowing and harvesting; in the off-season the same workers have little or no work. …