India to Revise Jobs Survey to Track Gig Workers and Unpaid Work

India has proposed changes to its employment survey to improve data on gig workers and include unpaid household activities, the statistics ministry said on Friday. The revisions come amid concerns over whether official employment figures accurately reflect underemployment and job quality in the country. India’s headline unemployment rate currently stands at 5%, but economists have questioned whether existing data captures the full picture of the labour market.

The revised survey, scheduled to take effect from January 2027, will introduce a separate category for digital platform workers and include specific questions about household members engaged in platform-based jobs. It will also account for changes in urbanisation, district boundaries and population distribution to improve the accuracy of employment estimates. The government plans to introduce fresh survey samples for 2027-28 as part of the updated approach.

The survey will also collect information on unpaid household work, caregiving, volunteer activities, unpaid trainee work and the production of goods for personal use. Labour economist K.R. Shyam Sundar described the proposed changes as a limited step, noting that many workers operate outside digital platforms. However, he suggested that better measurement of unpaid work could eventually influence how national income is calculated. The government has invited public and expert feedback on the proposals within 15 days.

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