Investigating the Lived Realities: Socio-Economic Conditions of Industrial Workers
Keywords:
Industrial workers, socio-economic conditions, labor studies, worker livelihoodsAbstract
Industrial workers form the backbone of global economies, yet their socio-economic conditions often remain precarious,
marked by challenges in wages, working environments, job security, and social protection. This article examines the
multifaceted socio-economic landscape of industrial laborers, drawing upon a comprehensive review of extant literature
and statistical reports. It delves into critical aspects such as wage inequality, the impact of informalization, occupational
health and safety, and gender disparities within the industrial workforce. By adopting an IMRaD (Introduction, Methods,
Results, and Discussion) framework, this study aims to synthesize current knowledge, identify key challenges, and propose
potential interventions to enhance the welfare and stability of industrial workers globally, with a particular emphasis on
developing economies. The findings underscore the urgent need for robust labor regulations, effective social protection
mechanisms, and equitable labor market policies to foster inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
References
Banerjee, A., & Duflo, E. (2019). Good Economics for
Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems.
PublicAffairs.
Bardhan, P. (2005). Scarcity, Conflicts, and
Cooperation: Essays in Political and Institutional
Economics of Development. MIT Press.
Becker, G. S. (1975). Human Capital: A Theoretical
and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to
Education. University of Chicago Press.
Besley, T., & Burgess, R. (2004). "Can labor
regulation hinder economic performance? Evidence
from India." The Quarterly Journal of Economics,
(1), 91-134.
Bhandari, A. K., & Heshmati, A. (2006). "Wage
inequality and job insecurity among industrial
workers in India." Research in Labor Economics, 24,
-283.
Blau, F. D., & Kahn, L. M. (2017). "The gender wage
gap: Extent, trends, and explanations." Journal of
Economic Literature, 55(3), 789-865.
Card, D., & Krueger, A. B. (1995). Myth and
Measurement: The New Economics of the Minimum
Wage. Princeton University Press.
Das, M. B., & Desai, S. (2003). "Why are educated
women less likely to be employed in India?
Examining
gender
disparities
in
work
participation." World Development, 31(2), 291-311.
Deaton, A. (2013). The Great Escape: Health, Wealth,
and the Origins of Inequality. Princeton University
Press.
Deshpande, L. K. (2018). Wages and Working
Conditions in India’s Informal Sector: A Case Study
Approach. Economic and Political Weekly, 53(41),
-11.
Dutta, S., & Mallick, R. (2018). "Employment
conditions and job satisfaction among industrial
workers in India." Economic and Political Weekly,
(6), 23-30.
Freeman, R. B. (2005). "Labor market institutions
without blinders: The debate over flexibility and
labor market performance." International Economic
Journal, 19(2), 129-145.
Goldin, C. (1990). Understanding the Gender Gap: An
Economic History of American Women. Oxford
University Press.
Government of India, Ministry of Labour &
Employment. (2021). Annual Report on Industrial
Relations and Labour Welfare 2020-21. New Delhi:
Government of India.
https://irjernet.com/index.php/fsth
Green, F., & Whitfield, K. (2009). "Employment
insecurity and wage inequality in industrial
employment." Labour Economics, 16(5), 567-578.
ILO (2019). Global Wage Report 2018/19: What Lies
Behind Gender Pay Gaps? International Labour
Organization.
ILO (2022). World Employment and Social Outlook:
Trends 2022. International Labour Organization.
International Labour Organization (ILO). (2022).
World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2022.
Geneva: ILO.
Kalleberg, A. L. (2011). Good Jobs, Bad Jobs: The Rise
of Polarized and Precarious Employment systems in
the United States, 1970s-2000s. Russell Sage
Foundation.
Kanbur, R. (2015). "Labor regulations and industrial
development in developing countries." The Journal
of Development Studies, 51(4), 418-431.
Kucera, D., & Roncolato, L. (2008). "Informal
employment: Two contested policy issues."
International Labour Review, 147(4), 321-348.
Kumar, A. & Sharma, R. (2019). Impact of Working
Conditions on Health and Safety of Industrial
Workers in India. Journal of Occupational Health and
Safety, 27(3), 45-59.
Mehrotra, S., & Parida, J. K. (2019). "Why is the labor
force participation rate declining in India?"
Economic and Political Weekly, 54(39), 32-39.
Milanovic, B. (2016). Global Inequality: A New
Approach for the Age of Globalization. Harvard
University Press.
Mitra, A. (2018). India’s Informal Sector: Challenges
and Opportunities. Cambridge University Press.
Neff, D. (2012). "Wage differentials and gender in
India: Evidence from NSSO data." Economic and
Political Weekly, 47(49), 58-65.
Pal, P., & Ghosh, J. (2007). "Inequality in India: A
survey of recent trends." Economic and Political
Weekly, 42(6), 1268-1283.
Papola, T. S. & Pais, J. (2020). Informal Employment
and Labour Market Policies in India. Oxford
University Press.
Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First
Century. Harvard University Press.
Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford
University Press.
Sharma, A. (2021). "Industrial labor market trends
in India: A decade of change." Indian Journal of
Labour Economics, 64(2), 175-198.
Standing, G. (2011). The Precariat: The New
Dangerous Class. Bloomsbury Academic.
Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The Price of Inequality: How
Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future. W.W.
Norton & Company.
FSTH, (2025)
Wodon, Q., & de la Brière, B. (2018). Unrealized
Potential: The High Cost of Gender Inequality in
Earnings. World Bank.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Anna Novak, Dr. Piotr Nowak
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their articles published in this journal. All articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly cited.