Data | Urban workers hit the most during national COVID-19 lockdown

Amount of work available for workers in India reduced substantially in the period coinciding with the national lockdown during the first COVID-19 wave

Many migrant labourers went back to their villages and survived by taking up work in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) projects during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data show that the amount of work available for workers in India reduced substantially in the period coinciding with the national lockdown during the first COVID-19 wave. Underemployment was more pronounced in the urban parts compared to the rural areas. In April-June 2020, about 26% of urban employees worked for 36 hours or less a week compared to the 13% a year earlier. The decrease in the available hours of work was recorded across India, with very few exceptions.

All workers

The bar graph shows the share of workers distributed across the number of hours they worked in a week in April-June 2020 (indicated by a yellow bar) and April-June 2019 (indicated by a blue bar) . The dot plot shows the share of workers who worked less than 36 hours a week in April-June 2020 (indicated by a yellow dot) and April-June 2019 (indicated by a blue dot) in major States.

The share of workers with fewer working hours was higher in April-June 2020.

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In States such as Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar, the share of workers with less than 36 hours of work a week increased substantially in April-June 2020 compared to a year ago.

 

Urban workers

The bar graph shows the share of urban workers distributed across the number of hours they worked a week in April-June 2020 (indicated by a yellow bar) and April-June 2019 (indicated by a blue bar). The dot plot shows the share of urban workers who worked less than 36 hours a week in April-June 2020 (indicated by a yellow dot) and April-June 2019 (indicated by a blue dot) in major States.

In States such as Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, the share of urban workers with less than 36 hours of work a week increased substantially in April-June 2020 compared to a year ago.

 

Rural workers

The bar graph shows the share of rural workers distributed across the number of hours they worked in a week in April-June 2020 (indicated by a yellow bar) and April-June 2019 (indicated by a blue bar). The dot plot shows the share of rural workers who worked less than 36 hours in a week in April-June 2020 (indicated by a yellow dot) and April-June 2019 (indicated by a blue dot) in major States.

In States such as Uttarakhand and Bihar, the share of rural workers with less than 36 hours of work in a week increased substantially in April-June 2020 compared to a year ago.

Source: Periodic Labour Fource Survey 2019-20