In a significant development, the Union Minister for Labour and Employment has initiated the first-ever All India Survey on Domestic Workers (DW). This event marks a seminal moment in independent India’s assessment of its labour force. The survey promises to be comprehensive, aiming to be accomplished within a year.
Objectives and Scope of the All India Survey on Domestic Workers
The principal objective of this survey is to quantify the number and proportion of domestic workers at both national and state levels. It will further provide estimates of households employing live-in or live-out domestic workers, and the average number of such workers employed by various household types.
The survey is designed to capture information about the number and percentage share of household workers across significant states, including separate assessments for rural and urban areas. The data will provide insights into the households that hire domestic workers, as well as the socio-demographic characteristics of these workers.
The geographical coverage of the study is extensive, covering 37 states and union territories, involving about 1.5 lakh households across 742 districts.
A Series of Surveys for Upcoming National Employment Policy
The All India Survey on Domestic Workers is one out of five national job surveys planned to gather critical data for a forthcoming national employment policy. The other four surveys encompass the All-India Survey of Migrant Workers, All-India Survey of Employment Generated by Professionals, All-India Survey of Employment Generated in The Transport Sector, and the All-India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES).
The Necessity of Domestic Workers Survey in India
Domestic Workers make up a significant chunk of India’s informal employment sector. However, there’s a noticeable lack of robust data on their status and the prevailing work conditions they face. The survey comes as a much-needed move to generate time-series data on domestic workers. Understanding the complexities of this area will equip policymakers with valuable information for crafting effective laws and regulations.
Who is a Domestic Worker?
The survey characterizes a domestic worker as anyone employed by a household who visits the employer’s house at least four times within the last 30 days. The services or goods provided by the worker are consumed by the household members against payment, done either in cash or kind.
Current Status of Domestic Workers in India
Based on the latest available data from the e-Shram portal, approximately 8.8% of 8.56 crore registered workers from the informal sector are categorized as domestic workers. With India’s informal workforce numbering around 38 crores, the projected number of domestic workers (assuming the current registration rate on the e-Shram portal) would range between 3 – 3.5 crores. This sizable workforce makes domestic workers the third-largest category of workers in India, trailing only behind agriculture and construction sectors.
Finally, it’s noteworthy that India is a signatory of the International Labour Organisation Convention C-189 (Domestic Workers Convention, 2011), which focuses on decent work for domestic workers globally.
