The Government of Bihar has recently increased the minimum wage rates. As we know, minimum wage is the wage below which no worker can be paid. Along with this, the Bihar Government has classified workers into four categories: unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled.
India has remained a developing and labour-intensive country. A considerable proportion of its workforce is engaged in the unorganised sector. It is estimated that nearly 90% of workers are employed in this unorganised segment. To protect the rights of such workers and to ensure them a minimum standard of living, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, was enacted.
The objective of this Act is to ensure that no worker is paid less than the minimum wages fixed for the work he perform. The necessity of this legislation arose due to several socio-economic reasons, such as preventing exploitation of labour, ensuring humane living conditions, reducing economic inequality, increasing productivity and efficiency, reducing poverty and unemployment, and regulating the labour market.
Under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both the Central and State Governments fix the minimum wage rates for workers employed in certain scheduled employments/industries. These minimum wages represent the lower limit, below which payment is illegal and unfair. The Government of Bihar has prescribed minimum wages for 90 scheduled employments. In the State, a Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) linked to inflation is revised every six months and added to the minimum wage. As per the provisions of the Act, a revision of minimum wages is also undertaken every five years (last revision – 2023).
Minimum wages are determined on the basis of the skill level of workers: Unskilled, Semi-Skilled, Skilled, and Highly Skilled. Recently, the Bihar Government has classified various job roles into these categories in detail.
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Unskilled work means work that does not require any skill or experience to perform. Such work is performed without any formal training or decision-making ability. The requirements of such work are limited to physical effort and basic knowledge of the work premises..
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Semi-skilled work means work that requires a certain degree of skill or competence acquired through experience on the job, and which can be performed effectively under the supervision or guidance of a skilled worker.
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Skilled work: means work which requires educational qualification and training or practical experience to acquire skill or competence, and which can be performed independently and using reasonable judgment. Such work also includes work involving the supervision of unskilled and semi-skilled workers.
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Highly skilled work: means work that requires a high degree of perfection and full competence in the performance of specified tasks, acquired through the required educational qualifications, along with certification and intensive technical or professional training, or through substantial practical work experience. Such work involves full responsibility for the decisions or results necessary for its execution, and also involves the supervision of skilled workers.
From 1st October 2025, the minimum daily wages in Bihar for Non-Agricultural Workers will be as follows:
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Unskilled workers: ₹428 per day
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Semi-skilled workers: ₹444 per day
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Skilled workers: ₹541 per day
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Highly skilled workers: ₹660 per day
For detailed notification, please visit
Workers Classification in Unskilled/Semi-Skilled/Skilled/Highly Skilled Category
Minimum Wage Rate in all 89 Notified Schedules (Non-Agricultural)
Minimum Wage Rate for Agricultural Workers
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