Lok Sabha Question No. 323 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Trends in Real Wages and Job Quality
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Adv Priya Saroj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 323 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## TRENDS IN REAL WAGES AND JOB QUALITY

*323. ADV PRIYA SAROJ:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  inflation-adjusted  real  wage  trends  for  rural  and urban workers in the country during the last five years and the current year, year, gender, sector and State/UT-wise, particularly in Uttar Pradesh; (b) whether  the Periodic Labour  Force Survey data indicates stagnation or decline in real wages for casual and self-employed workers and if so, the recorded reasons for such trends; (c)  the  details  of  proportion  and  number  of  workers  engaged  in informal or contractual employment without written contracts or social  security  coverage  in  the  country  during  the  said  period, gender and State/UT-wise, particularly in Uttar Pradesh; (d) the details of the number of complaints received regarding wage delays, non-payment of minimum wages and job insecurity along with enforcement actions taken by the Government; and (e) the details of the specific statutory or fiscal measures introduced by the Government to address the real wage stagnation and rising
- informalization of the workforce?

## MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

- ****                                                  *****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 323 RAISED BY ADV PRIYA SAROJ DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON  16.03.2026  REGARDING  TRENDS  IN  REAL WAGES AND JOB QUALITY.

(a) to (e): Labour Bureau, an attached office of Ministry of Labour & Employment  compiles  and  maintains  average  nominal  daily  wage rates for selected 12 agricultural and 13 non-agricultural occupations, based on information collected by the National Sample Survey Organisation from a fixed set of 600 sample villages across 20 States.

Labour Bureau data for ten years, 2014-15 to 2023-24, for agricultural labourers, indicates that the daily average wage rate has increased by about 66% and 72% for males and females respectively. Similarly, for non-agricultural labourers, the daily average wage rate has risen by about 56.7% and 58.4% for male and female respectively, during last ten years.

As  per  PLFS  Annual  report  for  the  year  2023-24,  the percentage of regular wage/ salaried employees in usual status in non-agriculture sector without written job contract for each State/ UT (Rural+Urban) may be seen at Annexure 'A' .

Furthermore,  The  Code  on  Wages,  2019  which  came  into effect from 21.11.2025, has subsumed the provisions of the Minimum Wages  Act,  1948;  Payment  of  Wages  Act,  1936,  Payment  of  Bonus Act,1965 and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. Under the provisions of the Code on Wages 2019, both Central and the State Governments are empowered to enforce the provisions of the Code by appointment of various authorities as prescribed under the Code such as 'Authority to ector-cum- hear and decide claims', 'Appellate Authority', 'Insp facilitator' and 'Enquiry Officer'.

The details of the number of complaints received and their disposal under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and Payment of Wages Act, 1936 during the year 2024-25 are annexed at Annexure 'B' . Further, the details of inspections conducted under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and Payment of Wages Act, 1936 during the year 2024-25 in the Central Sphere and the prosecution and penalties imposed for the irregularities detected in such inspections are annexed at Annexure 'C'.

To promote formalisation of the workforce, the Occupational  Safety,  Health  and  Working  Conditions  Code,  2020 provides for mandatory issuance of appointment letters to employees.  The  Code  on  Social  Security,  2020  expands  social security coverage by extending Employees' State Insurance Corporation  coverage  pan-India,  allowing  voluntary  coverage  for establishments with less than 10 employees, and mandating coverage even for establishments with a single employee engaged in hazardous processes. The coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation now applies to all establishments employing 20 or more employees, with the earlier schedule-based restriction removed. Further, the Employees' Enrolment Scheme (EES) of EPFO provides  a  time-bound  opportunity  for  employers  to  bring  left-out employees under the fold of social security, thereby ensuring their formalization.

*****

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 323 RAISED BY ADV PRIYA SAROJ DUE FOR REPLY ON 16.03.2026 REGARDING TRENDS IN REAL WAGES AND JOB QUALITY

Percentage of regular wage/ salaried employees in usual status (principal status + subsidiary status) in non-agriculture sector (NIC-2008 Divisions:05-99) without written job contract for each State/ UT

## Rural + Urban (2023-24)

| State/ UT                       | Male                         | Female                       | Person                       |
|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| State/ UT                       | with no written job contract | with no written job contract | with no written job contract |
| Andhra Pradesh                  | 59.7                         | 62.6                         | 60.5                         |
| Arunachal Pradesh               | 9.5                          | 11.5                         | 10.0                         |
| Assam                           | 47.4                         | 39.6                         | 45.5                         |
| Bihar                           | 66.8                         | 49.5                         | 63.9                         |
| Chhattisgarh                    | 67.0                         | 69.4                         | 67.6                         |
| Delhi                           | 59.3                         | 63.6                         | 60.3                         |
| Goa                             | 17.8                         | 43.1                         | 25.2                         |
| Gujarat                         | 71.0                         | 75.1                         | 71.9                         |
| Haryana                         | 60.0                         | 56.0                         | 59.3                         |
| Himachal Pradesh                | 41.2                         | 45.5                         | 42.3                         |
| Jharkhand                       | 54.3                         | 42.6                         | 51.7                         |
| Karnataka                       | 35.7                         | 34.7                         | 35.4                         |
| Kerala                          | 55.4                         | 46.6                         | 51.5                         |
| Madhya Pradesh                  | 55.3                         | 48.7                         | 54.1                         |
| Maharashtra                     | 62.8                         | 67.2                         | 64.0                         |
| Manipur                         | 23.2                         | 29.6                         | 24.7                         |
| Meghalaya                       | 35.9                         | 22.9                         | 30.2                         |
| Mizoram                         | 9.2                          | 19.3                         | 11.4                         |
| Nagaland                        | 12.1                         | 13.6                         | 12.5                         |
| Odisha                          | 50.2                         | 41.6                         | 48.0                         |
| Punjab                          | 83.8                         | 86.2                         | 84.5                         |
| Rajasthan                       | 79.2                         | 67.7                         | 77.1                         |
| Sikkim                          | 24.8                         | 15.9                         | 21.7                         |
| Tamil Nadu                      | 48.1                         | 55.8                         | 50.4                         |
| Telangana                       | 46.3                         | 49.5                         | 47.2                         |
| Tripura                         | 37.0                         | 54.2                         | 42.6                         |
| Uttarakhand                     | 46.9                         | 52.2                         | 48.3                         |
| Uttar Pradesh                   | 60.8                         | 55.8                         | 60.0                         |
| West Bengal                     | 54.9                         | 64.3                         | 57.3                         |
| Andaman &N. Island              | 38.1                         | 49.9                         | 42.0                         |
| Chandigarh                      | 31.5                         | 33.6                         | 32.1                         |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli& Daman &Diu | 54.7                         | 72.5                         | 58.0                         |
| Jammu &Kashmir                  | 44.1                         | 38.1                         | 43.0                         |
| Ladakh                          | 25.6                         | 5.6                          | 21.9                         |
| Lakshadweep                     | 24.5                         | 4.9                          | 20.8                         |
| Puducherry                      | 48.1                         | 53.3                         | 50.1                         |
| All India                       | 58.2                         | 57.3                         | 58.0                         |
| Sample RWS#employees            | 18,547                       | 6,415                        | 24,962                       |

Note:

1. *SSB: social security benefit; For the purpose of the survey, the social security benefits considered were PF/ pension, gratuity, health care/maternity benefit or a combination of these benefits

2. #RWS: regular wage/ salaried

Source:- PLFS Annual Report

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 323 RAISED BY ADV PRIYA SAROJ DUE FOR REPLY ON 16.03.2026 REGARDING TRENDS IN REAL WAGES AND JOB QUALITY

Number of complaints received and their disposal under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and Payment of Wages Act, 1936 during the year 2024-25

| Year    | Act           | Complaint/ Claim Cases   | No. of Cases Disposed   | Amount involved (in Rs.)   | Workers involved   |
|---------|---------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------------|--------------------|
|         | MWAct, 1948   | Received 1,434           | 1331                    | 36,38,55,232               | 11,623             |
| 2024-25 | PoW Act, 1936 | 956                      | 832                     | 9,63,78,738                | 7,025              |
| Total   | Total         | 2,390                    | 2,163                   | 46,02,33,970               | 18,648             |

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 323 RAISED BY ADV PRIYA SAROJ DUE FOR REPLY ON 16.03.2026 REGARDING TRENDS IN REAL WAGES AND JOB QUALITY

## Number of inspections conducted and prosecution under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and Payment of Wages Act, 1936 during the year 2024-25

| Year    | Act           | No. of inspections conducted   | No. of irregularities detected   | No. of irregularities rectified   |   Filed |   Convicted | Penalty imposed (in Rs.)   |
|---------|---------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|---------|-------------|----------------------------|
|         | MWAct, 1948   | 7,302                          | 28,944                           | 8,162                             |     585 |         131 | 3,30,100                   |
| 2024-25 | PoW Act, 1936 | 1,495                          | 7,191                            | 2,699                             |     118 |          55 | 1,05,850                   |
| Total   | Total         | 8,797                          | 36,135                           | 10,861                            |     703 |         186 | 4,35,950                   |

*****