Getting Older and Still Working: How Are Older Indians Paid? Evidence from India’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)

Old age is generally associated with withdrawal from economic activity after years of work. However, a significant proportion of older adults remain economically active, primarily due to economic necessity. Addressing the critical question of whether older workers are adequately and equitably compensated for their work, this study examines the short-run employment and earnings of older adults in India using unit-level data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2023–24 under the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach. It compares the earnings of older workers with those of working-age workers, focusing on gender disparities. Around 30 per cent of older adults participated in the labour market during the reference week, and the majority of them worked as self-employed. A pronounced gender gap is observed, with substantially lower participation among older females. Earnings analysis reveals significant differences across gender and age groups, with inequalities persisting from earlier working life into old age. Across employment categories, older workers face a consistent earnings disadvantage relative to working-age workers, particularly in regular salaried employment. The findings highlight concerns about the adequacy and disparity in earnings among older workers and underscore the need to revisit retirement-age policies and strengthen targeted employment and income-support measures for older adults in India.