Objectives: The study is to analyse the relative economy structure of North Chennai in comparison to South Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India with respect to occupational characteristics. Therefore, the main aim of the study is to analyse the regional inequality in the occupational pattern of Chennai district and also to find out the occupational status of social groups in Chennai district.
Methods/Analysis: The study is based on secondary data sources by using the Primary Census Abstract for Chennai District of Tamil Nadu for the periods 1991, 2001 and 2011. The present investigation for proper comparison the occupational pattern of Chennai district grouped into three regions such as North, Central and South Chennai. For this purpose, Decomposition of the Gini Index is used to measure the occupational inequality between North region and South Region and also used the Sopher’s Disparity Index to measure the occupational disparity between SCs and Non-SCs.
Findings: The study found that the rate of work participation of marginal workers, manufacturing and procession in the household industry was continuously high among the north region of Chennai as compared to other regions of Chennai district. It is revealed that there is a regional inequality between the North Chennai and South Chennai district in getting access to employment in tertiary and service sector occupation. This study also found that the majority of North Chennai people are engaged in the marginal occupation. Obviously, many of them belong to Scheduled caste with socially and educationally deprived.
Novelty/Improvement: The study suggests that the Government had initiated many programmes like skill training programs for the semi-skilled or unskilled labourers but it should be percolated among different social groups especially scheduled caste people in North Chennai. The study also suggested that the Government should give special skills training and employment for SCs through the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) to improve their social and economic status.