Income Patterns of Woman Workers in Pakistan - A Case Study of the Urban Manufacturing Sector

Abstract

The paper analyses the income patterns of women workers employed in the urban manufacturing sector of Pakistan. It examines the wage differentials across regions, manufacturing sectors and industrial categories including large scale factories, small-scale enterprises and home based work. The central conclusion is that wages of women workers across sectors and industry size vary because of differences in the capital-labour ratio and hence labour productivity. The paper determines the proportion of women earning above and below the legally mandated minimum wage, which differs significantly across formal and informal industries. Finally, the earnings of workers have been examined in the context of human capital accumulation.