SUMMARY

In pursuance of the recommendations of the Technical Working Group on Rural Retail Prices set by the NSSO in 1974, the wage rate data in respect of 18 agricultural and non-agricultural occupations are being collected every month along with rural retail prices in Schedule 3.01(R) from a fixed set of 600 sample villages spread over 66 N.S.S. regions of 20 States (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat,  Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal) since July, 1986. These data are being compiled and published w.e.f. the agricultural year 1995-96. In this booklet, daily wage rates for 20 States and All-India have been presented, occupation and sex-wise, for the agricultural year 2002-03 (July to June). The main findings of the data are summarised below:

 a)         Agricultural occupations:

          1. All-India annual average daily wage rates in different agricultural occupations during the year 2002-03 varied widely from Rs.40.36 for male herds-keepers to Rs.83.31 for male labour engaged  in ‘well-digging’; from Rs.31.60 for female herds-keepers to Rs.48.24 for the female engaged in ‘transplanting’ activities; and from Rs.25.33 for child herds -keepers to Rs.35.69 for those employed in ‘weeding’.

2. Amongst agricultural occupations, ‘well digging’ was observed to be the highest paid activity for men followed by ‘ploughing’ and ‘sowing’ occupations. During the year 2002-03, the all-India average daily wage rates in ‘well digging’ varied from Rs.81.14 in July, 2002 to Rs.85.00 in February, 2003. It was noticed that the average wage rates for men in ‘well digging’ was the highest in the state of Kerala and the lowest in the state of Madhya Pradesh throughout the year.         

3. ‘Transplanting’ occupation fetched maximum wages for women followed by ‘harvesting’ and ‘threshing’ occupations. The all-India average daily wage rates for women in ‘transplanting’ occupation ranged between Rs.46.54 in September, 2002 to Rs.49.77 in June, 2003.

4. Children got highest wages in ‘weeding’ occupation in the range of Rs.33.49 in December, 2002 to Rs.38.81 in June, 2003 followed by ‘cane crushing’ and ‘transplanting’ occupations.

5. For all the three categories of workers i.e. men, women and children, ‘Herds-keeping’ was observed to be the least remunerative occupation as the annual average daily wage rates were as low as Rs.40.36, Rs.31.60 and Rs.25.33 respectively during the year 2002-03.

 b)         Non-agricultural occupations:

6. The all-India annual average daily wage rates in non- agricultural occupations also varied widely from Rs.50.08 for male ‘sweepers’ to Rs.116.34 for male ‘masons’; from Rs.41.86 for female ‘mason’ to Rs.49.74 for female  ‘sweepers’; and Rs.29.19 for ‘unskilled child labour’.

7. Amongst non-agricultural occupations, ‘masonry’ was observed to be the highest paid occupation for men followed by ‘carpentry’ and ‘blacksmithy’ occupations. During the year 2002-03, the all-India average daily wages for male ‘masons’ ranged between Rs.114.97 in July, 2002 to Rs.117.63 in June, 2003.

8. ‘Sweeping’ was the highest paid occupation for women as their all-India average daily wages in that occupation varied from Rs.47.15 in October, 2002 to Rs.51.15 in March, 2003.

9. During the year 2002-03, the all-India average daily wages of children engaged as ‘unskilled labourers’ ranged between Rs.28.46 in July, 2002 to Rs.29.77 in February, 2003.

10. ‘Sweeping’ was found to be the lowest paid occupation for men during the year under reference with an all-India average daily wage rate of Rs.50.08. For women, ‘Masonry’ was observed to be the lowest paid occupation with an average daily wage rate of Rs.41.86.

 11. The average daily wage rates for women were found to be generally lower than those for men in most of the occupations. These can be attributed to variations in the number of quotations as no wage differential based on sex was observed at sample village level.  .

12. None of the female workers were found employed  either as ‘carpenters’, or ‘blacksmiths’, or  ‘cobblers’ or as  ‘tractor drivers’ as no wage rate was reported for these occupations during the year. 

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