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A life in India · 13 evidence records
Work, earnings and migration
What work do people do, what do they earn, and why do they move?
Explore the ten life stagesHow to read these figures
Worker-type shares and sector shares are two different classifications of workers; they are not one set of mutually exclusive branches.
Monthly regular pay, gross self-employment earnings and daily casual wages have different reference groups and time units. A mean is not a median or an income-band distribution.
Migration figures describe the2020–21resident migrant stock and its main reason for moving. They are not annual migration flows or international departures.
1 Cr = 1,00,00,000 · 1 lakh = 1,00,000. Percentages, years, daily flows and rupees keep their own units. Showing full digits does not increase the source’s precision.
January–December 2025
Employed people aged 15+
61.6 Cr
estimated people
Full figure: 61,60,00,000 estimated people
Persons aged 15 years and above; employed under usual principal plus subsidiary status
Breakdowns, source and meaning
Within the same source and measure
Group
Value
Male
41.6 Cr
Female
20 Cr
What this measures: Persons aged 15 years and above; employed under usual principal plus subsidiary status
Derived by MoSPI using MoHFW projected populations; rounded to 0.1 crore. Not a census count or salaried jobs.
Official source ↗ · Official annual report release2246009, projection-based absolute employment paragraph
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Workers who are self-employed
56.2%
Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Breakdowns, source and meaning
What this measures: Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Worker composition, not share of total population. Self-employment includes unpaid household-enterprise helpers.
Official source ↗ · Statement7 and official release2246009 sections4–5
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Workers in regular wage/salaried employment
23.6%
Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Breakdowns, source and meaning
What this measures: Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Worker composition, not share of total population. Self-employment includes unpaid household-enterprise helpers.
Official source ↗ · Statement7 and official release2246009 sections4–5
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Workers in casual labour
20.2%
Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Breakdowns, source and meaning
What this measures: Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Worker composition, not share of total population. Self-employment includes unpaid household-enterprise helpers.
Official source ↗ · Statement7 and official release2246009 sections4–5
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Workers in agriculture
43%
Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Breakdowns, source and meaning
What this measures: Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Worker composition, not share of total population. Self-employment includes unpaid household-enterprise helpers.
Official source ↗ · Statement8 and official release2246009 sections4–5
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Workers in manufacturing
12.1%
Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Breakdowns, source and meaning
What this measures: Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Worker composition, not share of total population. Self-employment includes unpaid household-enterprise helpers.
Official source ↗ · Statement8 and official release2246009 sections4–5
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Workers in construction
12%
Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Breakdowns, source and meaning
What this measures: Workers in usual principal plus subsidiary status; all-India
Worker composition, not share of total population. Self-employment includes unpaid household-enterprise helpers.
Official source ↗ · Statement8 and official release2246009 sections4–5
Evidence reviewed 2026-10-16.
January–December 2025
Mean monthly regular wage/salaried earnings
₹22,699
INR per employee per month
Full figure: 22,699 INR per employee per month
Regular wage/salaried employees in Current Weekly Status; earnings during preceding calendar month
Breakdowns, source and meaning
Within the same source and measure
Group
Value
Male
₹24,217
Female
₹18,353
Rural
₹17,841
Urban
₹26,247
What this measures: Regular wage/salaried employees in Current Weekly Status; earnings during preceding calendar month
Mean nominal earnings for this employee class, not median pay or income per Indian. Reference month precedes interview.
Mean daily casual-labour earnings excluding public works
₹453
INR per day worked
Full figure: 453 INR per day worked
Casual labour in Current Weekly Status engaged in works other than public works; earnings recorded for reference-week workdays
Breakdowns, source and meaning
Within the same source and measure
Group
Value
Male
₹489
Female
₹324
Rural
₹433
Urban
₹549
What this measures: Casual labour in Current Weekly Status engaged in works other than public works; earnings recorded for reference-week workdays
Day-work mean is not monthly income; do not multiply by 30 assuming every day worked. Revised PDF differs from earlier PIB press-note male/female values.
No. PLFS usual-status employment includes self-employment and qualifying subsidiary work. Shares of self-employed, salaried and casual workers use workers as their denominator, not the whole population.