In Uttar Pradesh, a Category I unskilled worker is entitled to Rs 13,883.59 per month from 1 October 2026, made up of Rs 12,885 as basic pay and Rs 998.59 as variable dearness allowance (VDA). Many workers and employers look only at this total, although the VDA part of it is revised every six months.
The April figures were notified on 17 April 2026, and this notification superseded the earlier notice of 25 March 2026. In the October round, the state's order has increased monthly wages by Rs 174 to Rs 238 for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers, as per a report published on 28 October 2026.
How the VDA is revised twice a year
The VDA is reset every six months, on 1 April and on 1 October. The current cycle covers the half year from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, and the next round is due on 1 April 2027.
These revisions apply to 74 scheduled employments in the state under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and the VDA moves with a consumer price index. The April round used price data up to December 2025, while the October round used data for January to June.
Three district categories and the October order
The state has divided its districts into three groups. Category I has Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad, Category II has the other districts with a Nagar Nigam and Category III has all the remaining districts. A review had found that revisions legally due in 2019 and 2024 were not implemented, and the groups were adopted under the Code on Wages, 2019, to reflect regional differences in cost of living.
In Category III, the skilled monthly total is Rs 15,438 from 1 October 2026. Under the October revision, unskilled monthly wages in these districts rise from Rs 12,356 to Rs 12,530.
The October order is dated 21 October 2026.
