Jobs elusive in India despite rapid growth

New Delhi

IT'S been two years since India emerged as the world's fastest-growing major economy, but the rapid expansion has done little to improve the lot of Ashok Kumar.

Parked up and sitting on the kerb, the 25-year-old truck driver is going nowhere fast. He is the sole breadwinner for the 13 people in his extended family and his monthly salary is stuck at US$150.

With new, better-paid jobs hard to come by, Mr Kumar lacks options. He fears becoming unemployed like his elder brother, who recently returned to their village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh after months of searching in vain for work.

Data out on Wednesday showed India's economic growth slowed to 7.1 per cent in the quarter to June, a 15-month low. That is faster than other major economies, but not fast enough to cre…