More Women Are Joining India’s Workforce, But...

Data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of 2024 shows that more women are participating in the workforce than they were just a few years ago. But the gap between men and women, rural and urban India still runs deep.

A Slight Shift

Between 2021 and 2024, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) for rural women rose from 36.8 per cent to 45.8 per cent. That’s nearly a 9 percentage point jump in three years — a rare shift in recent history. This could reflect a mix of rising need, self-employment, agricultural reliance, and public works jobs in rural India.

In contrast, urban women’s LFPR crept up from 23.2 to 27.6 per cent, a much slower recovery from the pandemic-era lows. Men’s participation stayed high and stable across both regions, with rural male LFPR crossing 80 per cent in 2024.

Nationally, female LFPR reached 40.3 per cent in 2024, up from 32.8 per cent in 2021. But the gender gap remains wide — the male LFPR stood at 79.2 per cent in the same year.

A Recovery, But Not For Everyone

Joblessness has dropped slightly for women overall, from 3.4 per cent in 2021 to 3.1 per cent in 2024, but the numbers hide a deeper divide.

Urban women are still far more likely to be unemployed, with an unemployment rate of 6.7 per cent in 2024. For rural women, that figure is 2.1 per cent, almost unchanged since 2021. Among men, unemployment fell more consistently across the board, from 4.5 per cent in 2021 to 3.3 per cent in 2024.

This suggests that while more women are seeking work, many, especially in urban areas, are struggling to find suitable or secure jobs. The mismatch between qualifications and opportunities, and the lack of flexible or safe work, may still be keeping many on the sidelines.

What looks like progress in participation masks the unequal recovery underneath. Urban women continue to face the steepest climb into the workforce and within it. And while rural women are entering the labour force in greater numbers, it’s unclear how many are finding steady, dignified employment.

This isn’t just a data story, it’s a clue to where support, recognition, and reforms are needed.

Government Pushes In The Works

The government is actively pursuing gender parity in the workplace and is considering a series of policy shifts aimed at increasing women’s participation across both white- and blue- collar jobs.

Sources told The Secretariat that training programmes tailored specifically for women workers are in the pipeline and will be unveiled in the near future. In parallel, the government is in talks with industry bodies to find effective ways to boost women’s representation, particularly in the services sector.

The focus, however, is not limited to services. Several manufacturing industries have also expressed interest in increasing the presence of women in their workforce. The Ministry of Labour is working closely with stakeholders to facilitate this transition.

Senior officials have confirmed that incentive schemes to support this initiative are being formulated and will be announced in due course.