New Delhi, May 9 -- Nearly one-fourth of India's casual workforce receives pay below the statutory minimum wage. A research report by the State Bank of India (SBI) based on the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 data found massive gaps in how different regions handle wage regulation.

Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand emerged as the areas with the most frequent violations. In Chhattisgarh, roughly 70 per cent of casual workers earned less than the legal minimum, followed closely by Odisha at 66 per cent and Jharkhand at 65 per cent. The data suggested that in these specific regions, the majority of the casual labour force operated without the basic financial safeguards promised by the state.

As per the report, approximatel...