A significant proportion of blue-collar workers in India face financial strain, with the majority earning ₹20,000 or less per month, a new report reveals. According to WorkIndia, a tech-enabled blue-collar recruitment platform, over 57.63 per cent of blue-collar jobs fall within this low-income bracket.
The report highlights that a substantial part of the workforce struggles to meet essential needs such as housing, healthcare, and education. It further notes that approximately 29.34 per cent of blue-collar jobs offer salaries between ₹20,000 and ₹40,000 per month, providing marginally improved financial security but still insufficient for a comfortable standard of living.
"These figures illustrate a stark concentration of low-wage jobs within the blue-collar sector, reflecting broader economic challenges and potential implications for social stability and growth," said Nilesh Dungarwal, CEO and co-founder of WorkIndia.
A small segment of the workforce, about 10.71 per cent, earns between ₹40,000 and ₹60,000 per month. Positions in this higher salary bracket typically require specialised skills or significant experience, yet the limited availability of such roles indicates challenges in upward mobility within the sector. Only 2.31 per cent of blue-collar jobs offer salaries exceeding ₹60,000, underscoring the scarcity of well-paying opportunities.
The report, based on data from over 24 lakh job postings on the WorkIndia platform over the past two years, also identifies field sales positions as the highest-paying blue-collar roles, with 33.84 per cent offering salaries above ₹40,000 per month. Back office roles follow closely, with 33.10 per cent earning above ₹40,000, and tele-calling positions at 26.57 per cent.
Other roles such as skilled cooks and receptionists also feature in the higher salary bracket, with 21.22 per cent and 17.60 per cent of these roles, respectively, earning more than ₹40,000 per month. In contrast, delivery jobs have the lowest percentage of higher pay, with only 16.23 per cent of such positions offering salaries above ₹40,000.
The report underscores the need for targeted interventions, including skill development and wage reforms, to address the economic vulnerability faced by many blue-collar workers and to create more high-paying job opportunities.
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