PLFS set for fresh overhaul, govt seeks public & expert opinion on upcoming new things

IANS

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has invited public and expert feedback on changes to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), including its sampling design, estimation procedure and survey schedule. The National Statistics Office (NSO) plans to implement the revisions from January 2027, when it will draw fresh samples for 2027-2028 using an updated sampling frame.

The National Statistics Office (NSO), which has conducted the PLFS since 2017, plans to introduce the modifications from January 2027, when fresh samples for the 2027-2028 two-year period, designated Panel 6, will be drawn using an updated sampling frame.

The survey has undergone several changes to provide more timely and detailed labour market estimates. Its sampling design was revised in January 2025 to enable monthly, quarterly and annual estimates, including indicators at the sub-state level. Questions on education and skilling were also added, while data on digital platform workers, a subset of gig workers, has been collected experimentally since January 2026.

Separate sampling for platform workers

Experience from PLFS 2026 showed that the existing sampling arrangement was insufficient to capture an adequate number of digital platform workers. To address this gap, the NSO has proposed a dedicated Second Stage Stratum (SSS) for this category while retaining the existing structure and composition.

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The revised design will have four SSSs in rural areas and five in urban areas, with 14 households surveyed in each selected First Stage Unit (FSU). An additional yes-or-no question will identify households in which any member has engaged in digital platform work during the specified reference period. The question will be asked in both rural and urban areas to identify eligible households for the new stratum.

The changes are intended to widen coverage and improve the collection of data on this evolving segment of the workforce.

Updated frame

The next round will use an updated sampling frame incorporating changes reflected in the Urban Frame Survey, urbanisation and de-urbanisation, and the creation, division or merger of districts and other administrative units. The rural Census 2011 frame will also undergo follow-up updates.

The revisions are expected to improve population representation, particularly in urban areas, by accounting for new urban centres and changing administrative boundaries. The NSO has also proposed changes to sample allocation and stratification criteria, drawing on experience from Panel 5, the preceding two-year period. These adjustments are intended to improve sampling efficiency, represent population variations more accurately and reduce operational difficulties during sample selection.

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During the first three months from January 2027, the sample will include FSUs drawn from both the Panel 5 and updated Panel 6 frames. Monthly bulletins will publish pooled estimates using both frames, but Relative Standard Error (RSE) estimates will not be provided for these three months. The arrangement is designed to ensure continuity in monthly and quarterly labour market estimates during the transition.

A new type of measurement

The proposed survey schedule will also expand the measurement of activities beyond conventional employment. New questions in Schedule 10.4 will cover own-use production of goods, unpaid household and caregiving activities, volunteer work and unpaid trainee work.

These questions will be administered during the first visit in rural and urban households and will cover people aged 15 years and above. The data is intended to support annual reporting on these activities and provide a broader assessment of unpaid and non-market work, including its contribution to household and community well-being.