Parliament Question: Impact of Stagnant Real Wages

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3503 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2026 IMPACT OF STAGNANT REAL WAGES

3503. SHRI RAMASAHAYAM RAGHURAM REDDY:

SHRI SUNIL BOSE:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to

state:

(a)the details of average real wages of workers in rural and urban areas, including regular salaried workers, casual labourers and self-employed workers since year 2015 and category wise;

(b)whether the Government has conducted any assessment regarding the impact of stagnant real wages on household consumption and living standards in the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)the details of measures taken or proposed to improve wage growth, job quality and income security by the Government for workers in both organised and unorganised sectors? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (c): Labour Bureau, an attached office of Ministry of Labour & Employment compiles and maintains average nominal daily wage rates for selected agricultural and non-agricultural occupations, based on information collected by the National Sample Survey Organisation from a fixed set of 600 sample villages across 20 States, up to June 2025.

The minimum rates of wages for employments under the Central Sphere are notified by the Central Government and are revised periodically based on increase in Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW). The details of the minimum wages notified by the Central Government as on 30.03.2026 are available at

https://clc.gov.in/clc/sites/default/files/mygov_17751372721.pdf Contd..2/-:: 2 ::

Furthermore, The Code on Wages, 2019 which came into effect from 21.11.2025, has subsumed the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; Payment of Wages Act, 1936, Payment of Bonus Act,1965 and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. Under the provisions of the Code on Wages 2019, both Central and the State Governments are empowered to enforce the provisions of the Code by appointment of various authorities as prescribed under the Code such as “Authority to hear and decide claims”, “Appellate Authority”, “Inspector-cum-facilitator” and “Enquiry Officer”.

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