All-India Survey on Domestic Workers

In news-The Union Minister for Labour and Employment recently launched the first ever All India Survey on Domestic workers (DWs) being conducted by the Labour Bureau, Chandigarh.

About the All India survey-

- This survey is aimed to estimate the number and proportion of domestic workers at National and State level, percentage distribution of domestic workers with respect to Live-in/Live-out, formal/ Informal Employment, Migrant/Non-Migrant, their wages and other socio-economic characteristics.
- This survey will cover all types of domestic services like cook, driver, housekeeping, tutor (for children), watchman, etc.

The main objectives are:
Estimate the number/proportion of DWs at National and State level.
Household Estimates of Live-in/ Live-out DWs.
Average number of DWs engaged by different types of households.

The Domestic Worker Survey collects information on the following broad parameters-

Household Characteristics such as HH size, Religion, Social Group, Usual Monthly Consumption Expenditure, Nature of Dwelling unit.
Demographic Characteristics such as Name, Age, Relation to Head, Marital Status, General Education Level, Usual Principal Activity Status, Subsidiary Activity Status and Status of DWs.
It collects information on DWs such as their Age of entry, Social Group, Migrant status, Vocational Training/Education, Number of HHs served by DW, activities performed by them, and number of days worked, Duration of work, Type of remuneration and its frequency, Type of contract, Distance travelled.
It also collects information on Engagement as DW before and after COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on wages and job, living conditions and social security benefits received.

About Labour Bureau-

It is a premium organization in the field of labour statistics and is engaged in the collection, compilation and publication of price indices, employment, unemployment, wages, earnings, absenteeism, labour turnover, industrial relations and working and living conditions of different segments of labour.
It was set up as an attached office of the Ministry of Labour & Employment on October 03, 1920.
The two main wings of the Labour Bureau are at Chandigarh and Shimla with four Regional Offices at Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Kolkata and Chennai and a Sub-Regional Office at Mumbai.
The organisation is headed by the Director General, a Higher Administrative Grade Officer from the Indian Economic Service (IES).

Five All India Surveys conducted by Labour Bureau are-