Economic Survey: 40% Gig Workers Earn Below Rs 15,000, Suggests Minimum Per-Task Earnings

The Economic Survey 2025-26 highlights that around 40 per cent of the gig workers are earning less than Rs 15,000 per month and suggests that it should be linked with a minimum per-hour or per-task earnings. According to the survey, the maximum number of such workers is in e-commerce (37 per cent), followed by logistics (15 per cent), BFSI and manufacturing (10 per cent each), and then retail, transportation, IT, health, ITeS, etc. The minimum per-task or per-hour earnings will include compensation for waiting time to balance the payments and reduce the disparity between gig and regular workers.

The number of gig workers has grown from 7.7 million in 2021 to 12 million in 2025, and it has outpaced the growth in employment. The non-agricultural gig workers are projected to reach 6.7 per cent of the total workforce in India by 2029-30.

As the gig economy expands, the employment and economic growth of the country will show its impact more visibly. The gig workforce is projected to contribute Rs 2.35 lakh crore to GDP by 2029-30.

The report highlights that as the gig economy grows and generates opportunities for the “revenue creation and economic diversification,” it is important that the growth remains equitable and long-term. And, for that, gig-worker-focused policies need to be devised.

While the labour codes have recognised the gig and platform workers and expanded the social security benefits and welfare funds for them, it is crucial to promote worker-friendly practices moving forward.

The survey also noted that although the gig workers are now recognised under law, they are largely treated as a “homogeneous group”, but in reality, they are very different skill-wise. As per the NITI Aayog report, by 2030, there would be around 27.5 per cent high-skilled workers and 33.8 per cent low-skilled workers.  

The survey also highlights the challenge of gig workers in accessing credit to move into bigger gigs. “Many cannot upgrade from low- to medium-skilled gigs because they lack tools (for example, a bike, car, or specialised equipment). Encouraging platforms and employers to co-invest in assets and training could help workers progress into more secure, higher-quality jobs. It is important to help gig workers manage unstable incomes.”    

Besides, the concentration of power in the platforms that provide gig-market infrastructure is another concern that needs to be addressed. Overall, the survey suggests basic financial planning support for gig-workers and making them aware of social security benefits, low-cost emergency savings schemes, budgeting, and financial literacy programmes, etc.

“Policy can reduce the cost gap between regular and gig work by limiting incentives to avoid mandatory benefits and by setting minimum per-hour or per-task earnings (including waiting time), encouraging formal employment, and raising incomes for low- and medium-skilled gig workers. Taken together, the goal of gig-economy policy should be to reshape the terms so that workers exercise real choice rather than being pushed into gigs due to weak demand, skill mismatch, or the absence of a safety net,” suggests the survey.