Economic Activity and Labor

Johar Town
Group 3:
Shabib Ansari
Shayan Ather
Muhammad Ali Zafar
Introduction
Samsani Khui in Johar Town
Qualitative mapping of Economic activity and
labor market of urban poor
Methodology
Low-income community
Insufficient living spaces
Lack of sanitation
High population density
Limited employment and educational
opportunities
26 households
Structured and unstructured interviews
Presence of middle-income households
Overview of Samsani Khui
Evolution of Samsani
M Block, Johar Town, Lahore
Disparity between Johar town and Samsani
Local landowners moved away and sold land
15-20 rooms, as living quarters, per plot of land
In-migration due to cheap housing
Day labourers, factory workers, domestic
workers and shopkeepers
One government school
Location
Lifestyle
Average monthly expenditure: PKR 20,600
Average rent for residential purposes: PKR 5000
Average monthly wage: PKR 19,100
Difference between earnings and expenditure: PKR
1500
Sanitation
6 to 7 people per house on average
Dissatisfaction
Few houses were much larger, better built, and
owners possessed more resources
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Labor Supply I Migration Patterns
Large number of migrants in the area
Kasur
Okara
Pakpattan
Lodhran
Narowal
Layya
Multan
Bahawalnagar
Dopalpur
Sahiwal
Our sample mostly includes natives of Samsani
Labor Supply II Male Labor Activity
Small businesses
Khokhas
Fruits and vegetables
Cobbler/ Tailor/ Laundry
Barbershop
Rent for shops ranges from 4000 to 7000 PKR
Informal sector
Day laborers
Domestic workers
Cloth factories
Remittances
Labor Supply III Female Labor Activity
Domestic workers in nearby homes in Johar
Town
One shopkeeper
Labor Supply IV Child Labor Activity
Education trend slowly picking up
Contradictory information regarding education
quality
Prevalent accounts of existence of child labor as
domestic workers
Labor Supply V Working hours
Average number of hours worked per week on
average for our sample = 64.75
Average number of hours worked per week for
Punjabs urban population = 52.63
Labor Supply V Working hours
Labor Supply V Mean Monthly Income
Barriers to Employment
No major opportunities in the area: only small
shops
Advertisements on walls: for clerical jobs
Educational Requirements
References and resources
Commission
Property dealing
Attitudes
Labor Demand
Major employers for the area:
Nearby textile factories
Construction industry for day laborers
Affluent households of Johar Town
Day Laborers find work from nearby Allah-Hu
Chowk, Khokhar Chowk and Raiwind Road
Labor Demand
Credit
Female Committees
Locals had little interactions with banks
An exception to the rule:
Security of Tenure
Most shop keepers claimed they had special
relationships with their tenants and would never
be evicted unjustly
Most had legal documents
Conflict Resolution
Local politicians involved in conflict resolution.
Police conducts regular rounds
Drug usage
Conflict resolution
Alternative Perspectives
Delivery man
Occupations, migrants, average monthly wages, average
rents of residential and commercial buildings; and role
of local politicians
Imam:
Holistic perspective
Ancestral ownership
Evolution of the area
Lack of social policy
Confirmed findings
Critical of the role of politicians
Poverty Headcount
Using the latest HIES 2013-14, official CBNP poverty line of
3030 PKR per month per adult equivalent
29.5% of total Pakistan, and 18.2% of urban are below the poverty
line
Stats taken from Chapter 16 of Pakistan Economic Survey 2015-16
Adult equivalent family members calculated using given
formula:

Using this method, 5 out of the 26 households in our sample

had monthly expenditure per adult equivalent less than 3030
PKR
Surprisingly close number of 19.2%
Limitations
Access to females:
Lack of access to households
Women not too responsive
Conclusion
Limited opportunities
No savings/low income
Barriers to entry in other occupations
The new trend for acquiring education may lead
to a gradual change