Government Proposes Changes to Labour Survey to Track Gig and Unpaid Work

The statistics ministry plans to update its Periodic Labour Force Survey to better capture gig work and unpaid domestic tasks. These proposed changes are scheduled to start from January, and the ministry has invited public comments on the draft note until November 7.

Gig Workers

Households will now be asked if any family member has worked with digital platforms like Ola, Uber, Zomato, Amazon, or Urban Company over the past year. This data will help form a new class known as a Second Stage Stratum. Platform workers will also be asked about the specific services they offer, whether they work for multiple apps, their reasons for joining, and the major difficulties they face. Listed challenge options include long work hours, harsh weather conditions, uncertain earnings, and a lack of social security or accident cover.

Unpaid Work

The survey will also examine the nature of unpaid domestic work done by family members. Households will report if the goods and services they produce are for their own use or for sale, covering tasks like fetching water, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and taking care of children and elders. Furthermore, members will be asked if they actively looked for paid work in the past month, if they currently want paid work, and if family responsibilities are the reason they have not sought paid jobs.

Context

Better tracking of gig work and unpaid domestic labour helps policymakers understand modern employment trends and the gender gaps in the workforce. Previous studies have highlighted how heavy unpaid care work often restricts women from taking up paid employment. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation previously started collecting data on digital platform workers on an experimental basis in January 2026.