Occupational Wage Survey
Occupational Wage Survey (OWS):
Availability of reliable statistics on wage rates and earnings in different industries, particularly for various occupations, is of considerable importance for a scientific study of the occupational wage structure in various industries and for the formulation of appropriate wage policy. The wage statistics available in the country under various Acts, like Payment of Wages Act, 1936, Collection of Statistics Act, 1959 and Minimum Wages Act, 1948 etc. suffer from serious gaps, as they provide only industry level data, instead of occupation-wise details, which are essential for a proper examination of wage rates and wage differentials in specific jobs/occupations. These details are needed to defining and establishing the suitable relationship in standardization of wages in an area/industry to ascertain occupational structure of labour supply and a cost of other factors relevant to the proper management of personnel in an industry.
The Occupational Wage Survey, thus, constitutes the only data source in the country, which provides such details. Under Occupational Wage Survey, Occupational wage data are collected in respect of workers in selected Service Sector, Plantations, Mines and Manufacturing Industries at periodic intervals, so as to facilitate the generation of up to-date data base which, in turn, facilitate the fulfillment of the following objectives:-
To obtain occupation-wise data on employment, wage rates and dearness allowance for building up base year weights for updating the base of Wage Rate Index Numbers.
To obtain data on different components of pay roll earnings for different occupations for scientific studies of inter-industry and intra-industry differentials in earnings in Service Sector, Plantation, and Mining & Manufacturing industries. The latest 7th round of OWS has been completed recently. The preparatory work for 8th sub round is in progress.