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India Labour Observatory

India Labour ObservatoryData & Methods PLFS 2025Hours of work

Hours of work

Hours worked in the week, long hours, and the work people wanted and did not have.

6 tables, from the records of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, January to December 2025, each cell with its standard error. 2 of the 4 figures of this section that MoSPI's press note prints are reproduced at the printed decimal; the others, and why.

Table 8.1Average hours actually worked in the week, by status in employment

Workers in usual status (ps+ss) who worked in the reference week. hours a week. Hours of the reference week (CWS), workers taken by their usual status.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Self-employed	45.10.1	31.20.1	40.10.1	43.20.1	30.80.2	38.40.1	51.00.1	33.50.2	46.80.1
Regular wage or salaried	51.30.1	43.80.1	49.30.1	51.00.1	42.90.2	49.00.1	51.50.1	44.40.2	49.60.1
Casual labour	42.70.1	35.20.2	40.90.1	42.70.2	35.10.3	40.70.2	42.90.2	36.10.5	41.80.2
All workers	46.30.1	34.40.1	42.60.1	44.40.1	32.90.1	40.50.1	50.20.1	39.60.1	47.60.1

Table 8.2Workers by hours actually worked in the week

Workers in usual status (ps+ss) who worked in the reference week. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Under 20 hours	4.00.1	17.20.3	8.10.1	4.90.1	19.20.3	9.70.2	2.20.1	10.40.3	4.20.1
20 to 34 hours	15.00.2	32.10.3	20.30.2	18.30.2	35.50.4	24.10.2	8.10.2	21.00.4	11.30.2
35 to 48 hours	39.30.2	35.90.3	38.30.2	38.80.3	32.30.4	36.60.2	40.40.3	47.40.5	42.10.3
49 to 60 hours	30.20.2	12.20.2	24.60.2	29.00.3	10.80.2	22.90.2	32.80.3	16.70.4	28.80.3
More than 60 hours	11.40.1	2.70.1	8.70.1	9.00.2	2.20.1	6.70.1	16.60.3	4.40.2	13.60.2

Table 8.3Workers who worked more than 48 hours in the week

Workers in usual status (ps+ss) who worked in the reference week. per cent.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Self-employed	43.40.3	12.00.3	32.20.3	37.80.4	11.10.3	27.40.3	59.90.4	17.30.5	49.80.4
Regular wage or salaried	45.70.4	22.80.5	39.80.3	46.70.6	20.20.8	40.40.5	45.00.5	24.40.6	39.40.5
Casual labour	32.30.5	16.20.7	28.40.5	32.30.6	16.00.7	28.00.5	32.30.8	17.61.5	29.90.8
All workers	41.70.2	14.90.2	33.30.2	38.00.3	13.00.3	29.50.3	49.30.4	21.20.4	42.40.3

Table 8.4Workers available for more work than they had

Workers in usual status (ps+ss) who worked in the reference week. per cent. Hours available for additional work in the reference week (block 6, col 8).

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Self-employed	5.60.2	5.40.2	5.50.2	6.50.3	5.70.3	6.20.2	2.90.2	3.60.3	3.10.2
Regular wage or salaried	2.30.1	2.60.2	2.40.1	3.20.3	3.00.3	3.20.2	1.50.1	2.40.3	1.80.1
Casual labour	4.40.2	2.60.3	3.90.2	4.80.3	2.70.3	4.30.3	2.40.3	2.10.5	2.40.3
All workers	4.40.1	4.40.2	4.40.1	5.50.2	4.90.2	5.30.2	2.20.1	2.80.2	2.30.1

Table 8.5Hours of more work the underemployed were available for, in the week

Workers available for additional work. hours a week.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Self-employed	10.70.2	11.30.3	10.90.2	10.80.2	11.10.3	10.90.2	9.80.4	12.70.7	10.60.4
Regular wage or salaried	9.30.4	11.50.6	9.90.3	9.20.6	11.90.7	9.80.5	9.50.4	11.10.9	10.10.4
Casual labour	8.90.4	9.40.6	9.00.4	8.90.5	9.20.6	9.00.4	9.10.6	10.41.3	9.30.6
All workers	10.10.2	11.10.3	10.40.2	10.20.2	11.00.3	10.50.2	9.60.3	11.90.5	10.30.3

Table 8.6Average hours actually worked in the week, by industry

Workers in usual status (ps+ss) who worked in the reference week. hours a week.

MenWomenEveryone All India. PLFS 2025, computed by the observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records.

every table, unrounded

	All India			Rural			Urban
	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone	Men	Women	Everyone
Agriculture	39.90.1	31.20.1	36.10.1	40.00.2	31.20.2	36.10.1	39.50.4	30.30.4	35.80.3
Mining and quarrying	49.70.5	41.72.2	49.10.5	49.80.7	42.02.6	49.10.7	49.40.7	40.92.9	49.00.7
Manufacturing	51.00.1	34.70.2	46.00.2	49.80.2	33.90.3	44.20.2	52.10.2	35.80.3	47.90.2
Electricity, water and the like	48.80.4	41.81.2	48.00.4	48.40.7	38.21.8	47.60.6	49.20.5	43.61.4	48.40.5
Construction	44.50.1	36.60.5	43.90.1	44.20.2	35.30.6	43.60.2	45.10.2	41.31.0	44.90.2
Trade, hotels and restaurants	53.90.1	42.90.3	51.90.1	53.40.2	41.70.4	51.10.2	54.30.1	44.20.3	52.60.1
Transport, storage and communication	50.70.2	43.70.4	50.20.1	50.90.2	43.51.2	50.70.2	50.60.2	43.70.3	49.80.2
Other services	47.90.1	40.60.2	45.20.1	47.00.2	39.20.2	44.20.2	48.70.2	41.60.2	45.90.1

Computed by the India Labour Observatory from MoSPI's unit-level records of the Periodic Labour Force Survey, January to December 2025; Release 2026.10.