BHUBANESWAR: A report by State Bank of India (SBI) has revealed that nearly 66 per cent of Odisha’s informal sector workforce receives wages below the statutory minimum wage, placing the state among the poorest performers in minimum wage compliance.
The findings, based on data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)-2025, point to significant interstate disparities in the implementation of minimum wage regulations across India’s informal labour market.
According to the report, nearly one-fourth of casual workers across the country are estimated to be underpaid despite existing legal wage protections, indicating major gaps in labour law enforcement and monitoring mechanisms.
The study also highlighted a pronounced gender disparity in wage compliance, with female workers disproportionately represented among those earning below the prescribed minimum wage levels.
Experts noted that the findings underline the challenges faced by informal sector workers, particularly in states with large unorganised labour populations, and stress the need for stronger enforcement systems, wage transparency and targeted worker protection measures.
-OdishaAge
