Politics · India Bureau
India to Expand Labour Survey for Gig Workers, Household Employees
The government plans to enhance the Periodic Labour Force Survey with new questions to better capture employment in India's growing gig economy and unpaid household work sectors. The modifications aim to provide a more comprehensive picture of labour underutilisation across the country.
LSN India ·
India's statistical agencies are set to revise the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) to include additional data collection mechanisms targeting workers in non-traditional employment arrangements. The expanded survey will seek to identify and measure labour underutilisation patterns among gig economy participants and individuals engaged in unpaid household work, segments that have expanded significantly in recent years but remain inadequately represented in official labour statistics.
The modifications respond to growing recognition that conventional labour force surveys fail to capture the full scope of India's evolving employment landscape. As digital platforms and informal work arrangements proliferate, policymakers have acknowledged gaps in understanding workforce participation, income stability, and employment quality across these emerging sectors.
The enhanced PLFS is expected to provide government agencies and researchers with more granular data on underemployment, skill utilisation, and earnings patterns among gig workers and unpaid domestic workers. This information will inform policy discussions around labour regulations, social protection schemes, and economic planning initiatives.
The survey modifications represent part of broader efforts to modernise India's labour data infrastructure. Officials have indicated that the updated questionnaire will maintain consistency with international labour standards while addressing country-specific employment characteristics that current frameworks do not adequately measure.