VOA标准英语2013--India’s Jobless Hit Hard by Lagging Economy

 

India’s Jobless Hit Hard by Lagging Economy

Evidence of India’s slowing economy can be seen from local car dealerships - where auto¹ sales are set to decrease for the first time in 10 years - to job training workshops where unemployed² young people like Yogesh Dahiya get interview advice. The New Delhi resident says finding a job in India’s retail³ sector⁴ is tough.

"As the market is going down, competition is so high," he said.

Employment consultant⁵ Alka Kohli says she has seen a change in the job market since starting her training and recruiting company.

"There are many more people who need jobs now than they needed five years ago, that is definitely there," she said. "However, earlier there was a trend of a lot of people going for post graduation [post-grad degrees] and asking for jobs, but now people understand that post-graduation is not translating into the job market."

As India’s once double-digit growth rate dips to five percent, analysts⁶ like Rajiv Kumar with the Center for Policy Research warn that future growth depends on large-scale job creation to employ the next generation of workers. He says that means adding one million new jobs every month for the next two decades.

"The long-term strength of the Indian economy is supposed to be its young population, but if you do not, for example, create these jobs now - these young people will be frustrated⁷, will be angry and will be out in the streets, which will then impact your long-term growth prospects," he said.

Ahead of this year’s BRICS summit in South Africa, Kumar says India should not focus too much on its standing⁸ among other emerging economies such as Indonesia, which is becoming a favorite for foreign investors⁹.

Instead, he says officials should focus on domestic problems like improving governance, the public education system and the country’s infrastructure¹⁰.

"Your major cities - Lucknow, Varanasi, Chennai - they have all got four, six, eight hours of power cuts," he said. "Now how does a country or an economy work without this?"

As job applicants¹¹ like Sachin Dwivedi sharpen their skills at training centers for the tighter labor¹² market, many are optimistic that the economy will bounce back.

"I faced the interview, one or two interviews, but I could not succeed. But still there is hope and I am trying my best."

For India’s leaders, much is riding on their ability to meet the expectations of hundreds of millions of new workers. 

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。