A tale of two methodologies: Which dataset captures the real picture of the labour market?

For an evidence-based policy, high frequency, timely, accurate and granular data are critical. The two main sources of employment data for the Economic Survey are the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) by the National Statistical Office (NSO) and the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). While the PLFS quarterly survey, launched in April 2017, covers the urban sector, the CPHS data’s