Lok Sabha Question No. 1387 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Wage Rate of Women Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Smt. June Maliah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1387

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## WAGE RATE OF WOMEN LABOURERS

1387. SMT. JUNE MALIAH:

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

- (a) the details of per day wage rate of women agriculture labourers in 2025;
- (b) the details of per day wage rate for women non-agriculture labourers in 2025; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  ratio  of  female  to  male  average  wage/salary earnings received among regular wage/salaried employees in 2025?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (c): The provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 have been rationalized and subsumed under the Code on Wages 2019, which has been  made  effective  from  21.11.2025.    The  Code  on  Wages,  2019 empowers  both Central and State Government as appropriate government to fix, review and revise minimum rates of wages for the establishments falling under their respective jurisdiction. As per Code on Wages, 2019, wages are equal for men and women.

Area wise Rates of Minimum Wages in the Central Sphere (as on 01.10.2025) is at Annexure.

*                                                      *****

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1387 for 09/02/2026 regarding 'Wage rate of women labourers' raised by Smt. June Maliah.

## Area wise Rates of Minimum Wages in the Central Sphere (as on 01.10.2025)

| Sr. No.   | Scheduled Employment        | Category of Workers                                                                         | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                                             | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                                             | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                                             |
|-----------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|           |                             |                                                                                             | Area A                                                                                      | Area B                                                                                      | Area C                                                                                      |
| 1.        | Agriculture                 | Unskilled                                                                                   | 514                                                                                         | 470                                                                                         | 465                                                                                         |
| 1.        | Agriculture                 | Semi-skilled/ Unskilled Supervisory                                                         | 562                                                                                         | 516                                                                                         | 475                                                                                         |
| 1.        | Agriculture                 | Skilled/ Clerical                                                                           | 610                                                                                         | 562                                                                                         | 515                                                                                         |
| 1.        | Agriculture                 | Highly-skilled                                                                              | 675                                                                                         | 628                                                                                         | 562                                                                                         |
| 2.        | Sweeping and Cleaning +     | Unskilled                                                                                   | 805                                                                                         | 674                                                                                         | 541                                                                                         |
| 3.        | Watch and Ward              | Without Arms (Upgraded to skilled with training)                                            | 981                                                                                         | 893                                                                                         | 760                                                                                         |
| 3.        | Watch and Ward              | With Arms (Upgraded to highly skilled for supervision)                                      | 1065                                                                                        | 981                                                                                         | 893                                                                                         |
| 4.        | Loading & Unloading #       | Unskilled                                                                                   | 805                                                                                         | 674                                                                                         | 541                                                                                         |
| 5.        | Construction ^              | Unskilled                                                                                   | 805                                                                                         | 674                                                                                         | 541                                                                                         |
| 5.        | Construction ^              | Semi- skilled/Unskilled Supervisory                                                         | 893                                                                                         | 760                                                                                         | 632                                                                                         |
| 5.        | Construction ^              | Skilled/Clerical                                                                            | 981                                                                                         | 893                                                                                         | 760                                                                                         |
| 5.        | Construction ^              | Highly-skilled                                                                              | 1065                                                                                        | 981                                                                                         | 893                                                                                         |
| 6.        | Workers engaged in          | 1.Excavation &removal of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift:*                  | 1.Excavation &removal of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift:*                  | 1.Excavation &removal of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift:*                  | 1.Excavation &removal of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift:*                  |
| 6.        | Stone Mines                 | (a) Soft Soil                                                                               | (a) Soft Soil                                                                               | 545                                                                                         | 545                                                                                         |
| 6.        | for Stone                   | (b) Soft Soil with Rock                                                                     | (b) Soft Soil with Rock                                                                     | 818                                                                                         | 818                                                                                         |
| 6.        | Breaking                    | (c) Rock                                                                                    | (c) Rock                                                                                    | 1083                                                                                        | 1083                                                                                        |
| 6.        | and Stone Crushing          | 2. Removal and Staking of rejected stones with 50 metres                                    | 2. Removal and Staking of rejected stones with 50 metres                                    | 438                                                                                         | 438                                                                                         |
| 6.        |                             | lead/ 1.5metres lift * 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category** | lead/ 1.5metres lift * 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category** | lead/ 1.5metres lift * 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category** | lead/ 1.5metres lift * 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category** |
| 6.        |                             | (a) 1.0 inch to 1.5 inches                                                                  | (a) 1.0 inch to 1.5 inches                                                                  | 3323                                                                                        | 3323                                                                                        |
| 6.        | (b) Above 1.5 Inches to 3.0 | Inches                                                                                      | Inches                                                                                      | 2842                                                                                        | 2842                                                                                        |
| 6.        | (c) Above 3.0 Inches to 5   | Inches                                                                                      | Inches                                                                                      | 1669                                                                                        | 1669                                                                                        |
| 6.        | (d) Above 5.0               | Inches                                                                                      | Inches                                                                                      | 1372                                                                                        | 1372                                                                                        |
| 7.        | Non-coal Mines $            |                                                                                             |                                                                                             | Above Ground {Rates of Wages                                                                | Below Ground {Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)}                              |

|                                    |   including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)} |      |
|------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------|
| Unskilled                          |                                 541 |  674 |
| Semi-skilled/Unskilled Supervisory |                                 674 |  805 |
| Skilled/Clerical                   |                                 805 |  938 |
| Highly-skilled                     |                                 938 | 1048 |

* Per 2.831 cubic meters or 100 cubic feet
- ** Per truck load of 5.662 cubic meters or 200 cubic feet
+  Employees  engaged  in  the  employment  of  Sweeping  and  Cleaning  excluding  Activities prohibited under the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.
- # Employees engaged in the employment of Loading and Unloading in (i) Goods Sheds, Parcel Offices  of  Railways;  (ii)  Other  Goods  Sheds,  Godowns,  Warehouses  and  other  similar employments;  (iii)  Docks  and  Ports;  and  (iv)  Passengers  Goods  and  Cargo  Carried  out  at Airports (Both International and Domestic).

^ Employees engaged in the employment of construction or maintenance of Roads or Runways or  in  Building  Operations  including  laying  down  Underground  Electric,  Wireless,  Radio, Television,  Telephone,  Telegraph  and  Overseas  Communication  Cables  and  similar  other Underground Cabling Work, Electric Lines, Water Supply Lines and Sewerage Pipe Lines.

- $ Employees engaged in the employment of Gypsum Mines, Barytes Mines, Bauxite Mines, Manganese Mines, China Clay Mines, Kyanite Mines, Copper Mines, Clay Mines, Magnesite Mines, White Clay Mines, Stone Mines, Steatite Mines (including the mines producing Soap Stones and Talc), Ochre Mines, Asbestos Mines, Fire Clay Mines, Chromite Mines, Quartzite Mines, Quartz Mines, Silica Mines, Graphite Mines, Felspar Mines, Laterite Mines, Dolomite Mines, Red Oxide Mines, Wolfram Mines, Iron Ore Mines, Granite Mines, Rock Phosphate Mines,  Hematite  Mines,  Marble  and  Calcite  Mines,  Uranium  Mines,  Mica  Mines,  Lignite

Mines, Gravel Mines, Slate and Magnetite Mines.

(Contd/-)

## Classification of Area

| AREA - 'A' Ahmedabad                                         | (UA)                                                         | Hyderabad                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Faridabad complex                                            |                                                              |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Bengaluru                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Kanpur                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Ghaziabad                                                    |                                                              |
| Kolkata                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Lucknow                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Gurgaon                                                      |                                                              |
| Delhi                                                        | (UA)                                                         | Chennai                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Noida                                                        |                                                              |
| Greater Mumbai                                               | (UA)                                                         | Nagpur                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Secunderabad                                                 |                                                              |
| Navi Mumbai                                                  |                                                              | Pune                                                         | (UA)                                                         |                                                              |                                                              |
| AREA - 'B'                                                   | AREA - 'B'                                                   | AREA - 'B'                                                   | AREA - 'B'                                                   | AREA - 'B'                                                   | AREA - 'B'                                                   |
| Agra                                                         | (UA)                                                         | Gwalior                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Port Blair                                                   | (UA)                                                         |
| Ajmer                                                        | (UA)                                                         | Hubli-Dharwad                                                | (M. Corpn)                                                   | Puducherry                                                   | (UA)                                                         |
| Aligarh                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Indore                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Raipur                                                       | (UA)                                                         |
| Allahabad                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Jabalpur                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Raurkela                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Amravati                                                     | (M.Corpn)                                                    | Jaipur                                                       | (M.Corpn)                                                    | Rajkot                                                       | (UA)                                                         |
| Amritsar                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Jalandhar                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Ranchi                                                       | (UA)                                                         |
| Asansol                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Jalandhar-Cantt.                                             | (UA)                                                         | Saharanpur                                                   | (M.Corpn)                                                    |
| Aurangabad                                                   | (UA)                                                         | Jammu                                                        | (UA)                                                         | Salem                                                        | (UA)                                                         |
| Bareilly                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Jamnagar                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Sangli                                                       | (UA)                                                         |
| Belgaum                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Jamshedpur                                                   | (UA)                                                         | Shillong                                                     |                                                              |
| Bhavnagar                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Jhansi                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Siliguri                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Bhiwandi                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Jodhpur                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Solapur                                                      | (M.Corpn)                                                    |
| Bhopal                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Kannur                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Srinagar                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Bhubaneshwar                                                 | (UA)                                                         | Kochi                                                        | (UA)                                                         | Surat                                                        | (UA)                                                         |
| Bikaner                                                      | (M.Corpn)                                                    | Kolhapur                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Thiruvanantapuram                                            | (UA)                                                         |
| Bokaro Steel City                                            | (UA)                                                         | Kollam                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Thrissur                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Chandigarh                                                   | (UA)                                                         | Kota                                                         | (M.Corpn)                                                    | Tiruchirappalli                                              | (UA)                                                         |
| Coimbatore                                                   | (UA)                                                         | Kozhikode                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Tiruppur                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Cuttack                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Ludhiana                                                     | (M.Corpn)                                                    | Ujjain                                                       | (M.Corpn)                                                    |
| Dehradun                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Madurai                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Vadodara                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Dhanbad                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Malappuram                                                   | (UA)                                                         | Varanasi                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Durgapur                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Malegaon                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Vasai- Virar City                                            | (M.Corpn)                                                    |
| Durg-Bhilai Nagar                                            | (UA)                                                         | Mangalore                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Vijayawada                                                   | (UA)                                                         |
| Erode                                                        | (UA)                                                         | Meerut                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Vishakhapatnam                                               | (M.Corpn)                                                    |
| Firozabad                                                    |                                                              | Moradabad                                                    | (M. Corpn)                                                   | Warangal                                                     | (UA)                                                         |
| Goa                                                          |                                                              | Mysore                                                       | (UA)                                                         | Gorakhpur                                                    | (UA)                                                         |
| Nanded Waghala                                               | (M. Corpn)                                                   | Greater Visakhapatnam                                        | (M.Corpn)                                                    | Nasik                                                        | (UA)                                                         |
| Gulbarga                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Nellore                                                      | (UA)                                                         | Guntur                                                       | (UA)                                                         |
| Panchkula                                                    | (UA)                                                         | Guwahati                                                     | (UA)                                                         | Patna                                                        | (UA)                                                         |
| Area 'C' will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. | Area 'C' will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. | Area 'C' will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. | Area 'C' will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. | Area 'C' will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. | Area 'C' will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. |