Objective: In this study, we try to study the pattern of employment, earnings, social security benefits of self-employed, contract workers and casual labour.
Methods/Statistical analysis: This study is a comparative analysis of India and Punjab. The study is based on secondary time series data and collected data was calculated by simple percentages, Annual Average Growth Rate (AAGR). The data has been taken from the report published on Employment- Unemployment survey, 2016 by Labour Bureau of India.
Findings: The level of informality has been more in the rural areas for both India and Punjab in case of casual labour. The situation of casual female workers seemed to be more vulnerable than another activity status. The condition of informal labour poses a great challenge for the government to formulate a decent policy for them. Self-employed are more in rural India than in urban India whereas the situation is opposite for Punjab. The urban areas of Punjab have more self-employed than rural parts of Punjab. Females and casual labour both again were the worst sufferer as more than half of the total casual labour and females earned less than Rs. 5,000 p.m. only. Informal workers have the least access to social security benefits.
Application/Improvements: The study also tries to explain the current situation employment, wages and social security of informal labour at both gender level and rural-urban level.