Gender Disparity in the Informal Sector Employment in India

Abstract

India experiences enormous informalisation of employment which has become a global phenomenon in recent times. The quality of work, conditions of work and social security protection are important concerns in the growing informal sector. One of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) deals with ‘decent work’ for all. It is also reported that the inequalities and disparities in work participation and wage payment are high in the informal employment than the formal. Under this context, this study examined the status of informal employment in India by analysing different categories of informal employment, labour force participation rate (LFPR) and wage payments in detail. The aim of the study is to highlight the gender gap in these indicators of employment. The findings of the study show that there is an increase in the LFPR in both the usual and current weekly status (CWS) statuses in the course of all the periodical labour force surveys (PLFSs). The gender gap was prevalent not merely in the rural areas, but in the urban areas as well. The informal sector constitutes the highest share of employment in India, with self-employed individuals contributing the most. Half the workforce is not eligible for paid leave and other social security benefits, and wage disparities exist between rural and urban regions. This difference is found among both female and male wage workers in both the rural and urban regions. Female employees are much more vulnerable as there is a gender gap and a regional gap in wages paid to the regular employees.

Citation

Sumalatha, B.S. and Roy, V.P.N. (2024), "Gender Disparity in the Informal Sector Employment in India", Vinodan, A., Mahalakshmi, S. and Rameshkumar, S. (Ed.) Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 359-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241019