Wooing young voters in recession time

New Delhi: Elections were announced when the world was reeling under recession. That may have just been the beginning, but, today, pay cuts, freeze in salaries and job losses are a reality.

• 4 lakh people laid off in the export sector
• 3 lakh jobs lost in gems and textile industries
• Two and a half lakh pink slips in the BPO industry
  

"I call it stealth sacking going on. Companies don't want to be seen firing people but its happening in batches," said Sanjeev Bhikchandani, CEO, naukri.com.

Hiring has fallen as well. In the last six months of 2008, job sites like naukri.com reported a 30 per cent drop.

"I am worried. I want the next government to create jobs," says Priya, a final year management student.

There are 43 million young people who will vote for the first time and many of them are on the threshold of their careers. With the economy in recession, there is a great deal of anxiety about jobs and they are looking to the next government for answers.

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Employment was never a key election issue in urban India. But this time with the youth making up the largest voter base, the party that promises job security stands a better chance.