The National Statistics Office (NSO) has proposed significant changes to the sampling design of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), effective January 2027, when fresh samples for the two-year period 2027–2028 will be drawn from an updated sampling frame. The proposal, announced by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on 23 October 2026, also introduces revisions to the survey schedule and expands coverage of digital platform and gig workers — a segment that existing methodology had failed to adequately capture.

Why the Redesign Was Needed

Experience from the PLFS 2026 cycle revealed a critical gap: the existing survey arrangement did not capture a sufficient number of digital platform workers — those employed through app-based and online gig platforms. To address this, a new Second Stage Stratum (SSS) based on digital platform work is being introduced, while the existing SSS structure and composition are retained alongside it.

Under the revised design, there will be four SSSs in rural areas and five in urban areas, with 14 households canvassed in each selected First Stage Unit (FSU). This adjustment is expected to improve the coverage of gig and platform workers and deliver more comprehensive data on this fast-growing segment of India's labour market.

Updated Sampling Frame and Urban Coverage

The fresh samples will be drawn from an updated frame that reflects the revised Urban Frame Survey, shifts in urbanisation and de-urbanisation, and changes arising from the creation, splitting, or merger of districts and other administrative units. The rural frame will also be updated with a follow-up revision of the Census 2011 base.

According to MoSPI, the updated frame will ensure better representation of the current population — particularly urban residents — by capturing changes in administrative boundaries and the emergence of new urban areas. This is expected to improve sample coverage and enhance the reliability of PLFS estimates.

New Questions Added to Survey Schedule

The revised survey schedule introduces an additional binary question to identify households in which any member has ever engaged in digital platform work during a specified reference period. New questions have also been added on own-use production of goods, unpaid household and caregiving activities, volunteer work, and unpaid trainee work — broadening the survey's lens to capture non-market contributions to household and community well-being. Criteria for sample allocation and stratification have also been revised based on experience from the previous two-year cycle to improve efficiency and minimise operational difficulties.

Transition Arrangements for Early 2027

For the first three months from January 2027, the sample will comprise FSUs drawn from both the existing Panel 5 frame and the updated Panel 6 frame. Pooled monthly estimates based on both frames will be published in the monthly bulletins during this transition window. Notably, Relative Standard Error (RSE) estimates will not be presented for these three months. MoSPI said this approach is designed to ensure continuity in the release of monthly and quarterly labour market data while facilitating a smooth shift to the new frame.

Public Consultation Underway

A concept note detailing all proposed modifications has been prepared. MoSPI has invited comments and suggestions from policymakers, researchers, academic and research institutions, and members of the general public within 15 days of the announcement. The consultation window signals that the changes, while substantive, are not yet finalised. This comes amid growing pressure on official statistics to reflect the realities of India's evolving labour market, where gig employment has expanded significantly but remained largely invisible in formal data.