Changes in Occupational Structure of Population in Ballia district: A Geographical study

Abstract

All the economic activities for livelihood is called occupation. The people who are involved in various
economic activities form the occupational structure of any region. Occupation is an important activity of
any population that affects the social, economic, cultural, and demographic characteristics of a region.
The proportion of the economically active population in various occupations indicates the economic
profile of various groups of the society of that region. This occupational structure varies temporally and
spatially which defines the level of development of society and quality of life. The present study is based
on Ballia District, lying in the fertile confluence zone of the Ganga and the Ghaghara river.
Administratively the district is divided into 17 blocks which are taken as study units. The research aims to
compare the working population, occupational structure and its spatial change existing in the district from
the period of 2001 to 2011. Data for working population, main and marginal workers along with different
occupations are obtained from District Census Handbook of Ballia. Statistical techniques and choropleth
maps are used for the representation of occupational structure in the district and consequent changes in the
last decade. This comparative analysis will help highlight the spatial variation in different occupations in
the study area. This paper deals to analyse the spatial distribution of the working population and change in
the occupational structure of Ballia district. The proportion of cultivators and agricultural labourers has
decreased from 28.67% to 19.90% and 43.26% to 37.64% level in 2001 to 2011 respectively, while the
proportion of household industry workers and other workers have increased from 5.40% to 7.09% and
24.28% to 35.17% level in 2001 to 2011 respectively in Ballia district.