NSO Proposes Changes to PLFS starting 2027

On October 23, 2026, the National Statistical Office (NSO) proposed changes to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) starting January 2027 to expand the coverage and reliability of employment data.

Key Facts

Primary Objective: The proposed changes aim to better capture new forms of employment and unpaid work in the labor market.
Platform Workers: A separate sampling stratum is proposed for workers operating via digital platforms.
Sampling Frame: The sampling frame of the survey will be updated to account for urbanization and shifts in administrative boundaries.
Unpaid Work: The survey will collect data on unpaid activities such as domestic chores, caregiving for family members, and volunteer work.
Age Threshold: New questions will be posed during the initial survey visit to individuals aged 15 years and above in both rural and urban areas.
Implementation Transition: For the monthly estimates from January to March 2027, data collected from both old and new sampling frames will be utilized.
Statistical Significance: These changes will enhance visibility into modern work patterns and unpaid labor, aiding efforts to improve the quality of labor market statistics.