Patterns of inequality in the Indian labour market 1983-2012

Abstract

This book is a systematic analysis of inequality in India and how it has been changing since the 1980s. It focuses on the labour market, and in particular on wage inequality, and also examines inequality in household expenditure. The book looks into the structure and segmentation of the labour market, both in terms of the nature of employment (casual and regular work) and in terms of some of the key divides: gender, caste and community, region and education. All these factors are examined using National Sample Survey data, exploring the role of each in the overall pattern of inequality, and how their significance has been changing over time. A multivariate analysis brings these different factors together and assesses their relative importance. The monograph also considers the relationships between different aspects of inequality, comparing inequality of wages, income and expenditure, and discusses the changing share of labour income in the value added. A final section examines the role played by occupational patterns and changes in the overall structure of labour market inequality.