Impact of Welfare Board Registration on the Perceived Vulnerability of Construction Workers in Urban Assam
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Author: Dhritiraj Sarma and Suresh Kr. Nath
Author Address: Research Scholar and Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Cotton University, Guwahati-781001 (Assam)
Keywords: Impact evaluation, informal labour markets, perceived vulnerability index, precarity, social security.
JEL Codes: J01, J46, J81.
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of formal welfare registration on the lived precarity of informal construction workers in urban Assam. By utilising a mixed-methods design, we surveyed 765 workers across Guwahati, Silchar, and Dibrugarh to construct a multidimensional Perceived Vulnerability Index (PVI). Weighted OLS estimates revealed that registration with the Assam Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (ABOCWWB) was associated with a significant reduction in perceived vulnerability (? = -0.252, SE = 0.047, p < 0.001). Propensity-score matching confirmed these findings, suggesting that formal institutional ties measurably reduce worker insecurity. However, qualitative evidence indicated that registration alone remained insufficient without robust enforcement and portability. The research argued for policy reforms that prioritise proactive outreach and portable social protection to effectively mitigate labour precarity.
Description
Indian J Econ Dev, 2026, 22(3), 502-514
https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-26091