Gender pay gap decreases, but working conditions worsen

Indian women might still be earning lower wages compared to men, but the gender gap in wages is fast decreasing. The average wage rate for women is now one-fifth lower than men’s compared to a gap of 29.2% in 2004-05, shows data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). The NSSO’s 68th round looked at the ‘Informal Sector and Conditions of Employment in India’ for 2011-12, and covered all occupations except crop-based farming; that is 55% of the Indian workforce. The decline in the gender pay gap isn’t surprising. With a visible decline in the women’s workforce in the country in recent years, experts say a supply-side crunch in terms of women employees has led to a decline in the wage gap. With more women withdrawing from the workforce owing to a rise in family incomes, particularly in the rural areas, the percentage increase in wages for women has been higher.

Read the Economic Times news report here.