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The India Employment Report 2024 (ILO and IHD) compared PLFS 2022 earnings with the average daily minimum wage prescribed for unskilled agricultural workers. At the all-India level, 40.8% of regular workers and 51.9% of casual workers did not receive that wage. Among construction workers, measured against the minimum wage for unskilled construction work, the shares were 39.3% of regular and 69.5% of casual workers. The executive summary states that 62% of unskilled casual agriculture workers and 70% of such workers in construction did not receive the prescribed daily minimum wage in 2022. For reference the central minimum wage for unskilled agricultural work has since been set at Rs 500, Rs 457 and Rs 452 a day in Areas A, B and C (1 October 2024). What these do not show: this is a research estimate on PLFS data, not an inspection finding, and it is not proof that any employer broke the law. The benchmark is a central-sphere rate: the report cites Rs 300 (unskilled farm work) and Rs 350 (unskilled construction, type C areas) 'as of January 2017' and does not state how it was updated to 2022, while minimum wages for most workers are set by State Governments and differ. Reported earnings may include part-time work. The estimate has not been reproduced here. Compliance cases actually found by labour officers are in separate entries. In plain words: a research estimate based on the national survey suggests that about half of casual workers earned less than the lowest official daily wage for farm work in 2022; the figure shows a pay problem but not who is responsible. Evidence confidence: Medium: published estimate from a joint ILO/IHD report using PLFS unit-level data; a supporting rather than primary source, and not independently reproduced.
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Problem
The India Employment Report 2024 (ILO and IHD) compared PLFS 2022 earnings with the average daily minimum wage prescribed for unskilled agricultural workers. At the all-India level, 40.8% of regular workers and 51.9% of casual workers did not receive that wage. Among construction workers, measured against the minimum wage for unskilled construction work, the shares were 39.3% of regular and 69.5% of casual workers. The executive summary states that 62% of unskilled casual agriculture workers and 70% of such workers in construction did not receive the prescribed daily minimum wage in 2022. For reference the central minimum wage for unskilled agricultural work has since been set at Rs 500, Rs 457 and Rs 452 a day in Areas A, B and C (1 October 2024). What these do not show: this is a research estimate on PLFS data, not an inspection finding, and it is not proof that any employer broke the law. The benchmark is a central-sphere rate: the report cites Rs 300 (unskilled farm work) and Rs 350 (unskilled construction, type C areas) 'as of January 2017' and does not state how it was updated to 2022, while minimum wages for most workers are set by State Governments and differ. Reported earnings may include part-time work. The estimate has not been reproduced here. Compliance cases actually found by labour officers are in separate entries. In plain words: a research estimate based on the national survey suggests that about half of casual workers earned less than the lowest official daily wage for farm work in 2022; the figure shows a pay problem but not who is responsible. Evidence confidence: Medium: published estimate from a joint ILO/IHD report using PLFS unit-level data; a supporting rather than primary source, and not independently reproduced.
This is the most specific entry on this branch of the catalogue. The evidence behind it is below.
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