Surbhi Kesar
@surbhikesar.bsky.social
Economic development & political economy.
Senior lecturer - Economics, SOAS U of London.
Researches informality, structural transformation, post-colonial capitalist development, decolonizing econ.
https://sites.google.com/view/surbhikesar/bio
Senior lecturer - Economics, SOAS U of London.
Researches informality, structural transformation, post-colonial capitalist development, decolonizing econ.
https://sites.google.com/view/surbhikesar/bio
Unfortunately, yes, staying away is the likely scenario for a while. Would ofc be / have been great to have a talk at UMass!
October 23, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Unfortunately, yes, staying away is the likely scenario for a while. Would ofc be / have been great to have a talk at UMass!
Thank you, let us know your thoughts when through !
August 14, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Thank you, let us know your thoughts when through !
Thanks so much, Nooshin !
July 20, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Thanks so much, Nooshin !
Thanks for your reflections and for engaging!
July 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Thanks for your reflections and for engaging!
8/
This should be read in light of Indian’s labour market structure:
1983:
Salaried: 16%
Casual wage: 27%
Self-employed: 56%
2019:
25% | 23% | 50%
While salaried work grew slightly, it became precarious—those w/ secure contracts & benefits fell from 32%(2005 ) to 23%(2019).
This should be read in light of Indian’s labour market structure:
1983:
Salaried: 16%
Casual wage: 27%
Self-employed: 56%
2019:
25% | 23% | 50%
While salaried work grew slightly, it became precarious—those w/ secure contracts & benefits fell from 32%(2005 ) to 23%(2019).
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
8/
This should be read in light of Indian’s labour market structure:
1983:
Salaried: 16%
Casual wage: 27%
Self-employed: 56%
2019:
25% | 23% | 50%
While salaried work grew slightly, it became precarious—those w/ secure contracts & benefits fell from 32%(2005 ) to 23%(2019).
This should be read in light of Indian’s labour market structure:
1983:
Salaried: 16%
Casual wage: 27%
Self-employed: 56%
2019:
25% | 23% | 50%
While salaried work grew slightly, it became precarious—those w/ secure contracts & benefits fell from 32%(2005 ) to 23%(2019).
7/
Education and experience matter—but not evenly.
They help access formal salaried jobs (as expected).
But they have no consistent effect in trajectories involving informal wage work or transitions in/out of the workforce.
Skills matter only if the structure allows it.
Education and experience matter—but not evenly.
They help access formal salaried jobs (as expected).
But they have no consistent effect in trajectories involving informal wage work or transitions in/out of the workforce.
Skills matter only if the structure allows it.
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
7/
Education and experience matter—but not evenly.
They help access formal salaried jobs (as expected).
But they have no consistent effect in trajectories involving informal wage work or transitions in/out of the workforce.
Skills matter only if the structure allows it.
Education and experience matter—but not evenly.
They help access formal salaried jobs (as expected).
But they have no consistent effect in trajectories involving informal wage work or transitions in/out of the workforce.
Skills matter only if the structure allows it.
6/
Let’s talk caste
Caste shapes not just outcomes, but entire employment trajectories.
SC/ST workers are concentrated in the lowest-earning, highest-churn informal wage trajectory. Caste penalty operates expectedly, expect in this traj, where SC/ST workers earn > General.
Let’s talk caste
Caste shapes not just outcomes, but entire employment trajectories.
SC/ST workers are concentrated in the lowest-earning, highest-churn informal wage trajectory. Caste penalty operates expectedly, expect in this traj, where SC/ST workers earn > General.
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
6/
Let’s talk caste
Caste shapes not just outcomes, but entire employment trajectories.
SC/ST workers are concentrated in the lowest-earning, highest-churn informal wage trajectory. Caste penalty operates expectedly, expect in this traj, where SC/ST workers earn > General.
Let’s talk caste
Caste shapes not just outcomes, but entire employment trajectories.
SC/ST workers are concentrated in the lowest-earning, highest-churn informal wage trajectory. Caste penalty operates expectedly, expect in this traj, where SC/ST workers earn > General.
5/
Are people at least sorting into jobs that best match their education or experience or other characteristics?
Nope.
Most workers earn far less than they could if they were in trajectories that rewarded their characteristics.
A segmented labour market, not one based on sorting.
Are people at least sorting into jobs that best match their education or experience or other characteristics?
Nope.
Most workers earn far less than they could if they were in trajectories that rewarded their characteristics.
A segmented labour market, not one based on sorting.
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
5/
Are people at least sorting into jobs that best match their education or experience or other characteristics?
Nope.
Most workers earn far less than they could if they were in trajectories that rewarded their characteristics.
A segmented labour market, not one based on sorting.
Are people at least sorting into jobs that best match their education or experience or other characteristics?
Nope.
Most workers earn far less than they could if they were in trajectories that rewarded their characteristics.
A segmented labour market, not one based on sorting.
4/
Another surprise?
Self-employment—usually seen as subsistence-level fallback—offers higher and more stable earnings than most informal wage work.
Far from self-employment being desirable, wage work is just worse and transition to it is not voluntary.
Another surprise?
Self-employment—usually seen as subsistence-level fallback—offers higher and more stable earnings than most informal wage work.
Far from self-employment being desirable, wage work is just worse and transition to it is not voluntary.
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
4/
Another surprise?
Self-employment—usually seen as subsistence-level fallback—offers higher and more stable earnings than most informal wage work.
Far from self-employment being desirable, wage work is just worse and transition to it is not voluntary.
Another surprise?
Self-employment—usually seen as subsistence-level fallback—offers higher and more stable earnings than most informal wage work.
Far from self-employment being desirable, wage work is just worse and transition to it is not voluntary.
3/
No trajectory from informal to formal jobs. Most workers aren’t climbing toward better jobs.
They’re stuck or churning.
Is informal work a stepping stone to formal jobs?
No!
Workers in informal wage work have the same chance of getting a formal job as those out of workforce.
No trajectory from informal to formal jobs. Most workers aren’t climbing toward better jobs.
They’re stuck or churning.
Is informal work a stepping stone to formal jobs?
No!
Workers in informal wage work have the same chance of getting a formal job as those out of workforce.
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
3/
No trajectory from informal to formal jobs. Most workers aren’t climbing toward better jobs.
They’re stuck or churning.
Is informal work a stepping stone to formal jobs?
No!
Workers in informal wage work have the same chance of getting a formal job as those out of workforce.
No trajectory from informal to formal jobs. Most workers aren’t climbing toward better jobs.
They’re stuck or churning.
Is informal work a stepping stone to formal jobs?
No!
Workers in informal wage work have the same chance of getting a formal job as those out of workforce.