PLFS to count gig and platform workers separately from January 2027
By Rhea MalhotraDigital Life Writer, Peepals Yuva
Representative image: WOKANDAPIX / Pixabay
MoSPI proposed on October 23, 2026 that the PLFS add a separate category for gig and platform workers and questions on unpaid work from January 2027.
What Happened
India's Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has proposed changes to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the country's main source of jobs data, so that it counts gig and platform workers more fully and records unpaid work for the first time in detail. The proposals, released on Friday, October 23, 2026, would take effect from January 2027 with fresh samples for 2027-28. The ministry has invited comments from the public and experts within 15 days.
Key Facts
- The survey would add a separate sampling category for households in which someone works through digital platforms such as ride-hailing, food delivery and online marketplaces.
- According to reports on the proposal, households would be asked whether any member worked through a digital platform in the previous 365 days.
- New questions would also cover unpaid household work, caregiving, volunteer work, unpaid trainee work and production of goods for the household's own use.
- The changes would start in January 2027, with a new sample drawn for 2027-28 to reflect urbanisation and changed boundaries.
- The ministry has invited feedback on the proposals within 15 days.
- According to the government's Economic Survey, as cited in coverage, gig work rose 55 per cent in the five years to 2025-26 and may account for about 2 per cent of the workforce.
- Labour economist K.R. Shyam Sundar described the move as only a partial step, because many informal gig workers find work without any app or platform.
Why It Matters
The PLFS is the survey that produces India's unemployment rate, including the figures for young people that are watched closely every quarter. If a type of work is not properly captured in it, it effectively does not show up in the country's picture of jobs. Gig and platform work, such as delivering food, driving for a ride-hailing app or taking freelance tasks through an online marketplace, has grown fast, but the survey has not identified it as a separate category. That has made it hard to answer basic questions: how many people depend on such work, how much they earn, and whether it is a stepping stone or a trap.
For young people, these questions are practical. App-based work is often available without a degree or long hiring process, which makes it an option for students looking for extra income and for first-jobbers waiting for a better offer. Better data could shape the policies that affect them, from social security for platform workers to skill programmes and labour rules. The central government has been working on social security for gig workers, and an official said recently that designing old-age protection for them remains difficult, especially around contributions and pension structures. Reliable numbers are a starting point for any such scheme.
The plan to measure unpaid work matters too. Cooking, cleaning, caring for children and elders, and volunteering take up many hours, but they are not counted as employment. Recording them would show how time is really spent and could, over time, influence how national income is understood. Critics note the limits: a survey category for platform households will not capture informal gig workers who find jobs by word of mouth, and changing the method can make it harder to compare new figures with old ones.
| What changes | Current PLFS | Proposed from January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Platform workers | Counted within general economic activity, no separate category | Separate sampling category for platform-worker households |
| Screening question | None on platform work | Whether any member worked through a digital platform in the last 365 days (as reported) |
| Unpaid work | Not covered in detail | Household work, caregiving, volunteer and unpaid trainee work |
| Sample | Existing design | Fresh samples for 2027-28 |
Impact
Short-term: The public and experts have about two weeks from October 23 to send comments, and MoSPI will then finalise the survey design for January 2027.
Long-term: From 2027-28, India should have clearer official data on platform work and unpaid work, which can inform social security for gig workers, skilling programmes and labour policy. Comparisons with earlier survey years may need care because of the new method.
Who is affected: Gig and platform workers, many of them young; students and first-jobbers who take app-based work; people who do unpaid care work at home; policymakers, researchers and companies that rely on jobs data.
Key Takeaway
MoSPI has proposed that, from January 2027, the PLFS add a separate category for platform-worker households and new questions on unpaid work, giving India its first dedicated official count of gig work, with public comments invited within 15 days of October 23.
Questions and Answers
What changes has MoSPI proposed in the PLFS for gig workers?
It has proposed a separate sampling category for households where someone works through digital platforms such as food delivery, ride-hailing and online marketplaces, starting in January 2027, along with new questions on unpaid work.
When will the new PLFS changes start?
From January 2027, with fresh samples for the 2027-28 survey round. The proposals were released on October 23, 2026, and comments were invited within 15 days.
Why does it matter for young people doing gig work?
The PLFS produces India's official jobs and unemployment figures. Counting platform work separately would give policymakers better data for decisions on social security, skills and labour rules that affect app-based workers.
What should students and gig workers do now?
Those with views on the proposals can follow MoSPI's official website for the consultation and send comments within the window. Gig workers should also keep records of their platform work and earnings, which help when applying for any worker welfare scheme.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Rhea Malhotra, Digital Life WriterCovers Digital Life and more for Peepals Yuva. All stories by Rhea Malhotra
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Rhea Malhotra is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
