India has witnessed a sharp rise in women’s economic participation, with a declining unemployment rate and more educated women entering the workforce. This data comes from the Ministry of Statistics’ Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released on Monday.
The survey highlights significant improvements in labour market indicators over the last six years. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), the percentage of employed persons in the population, rose from 46.8% in 2017-18 to 58.2% in 2023-24. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) climbed from 49.8% to 60.1% in the same period. Unemployment fell sharply from 6% to 2%, reflecting better job availability and economic stability.
Rising Female Labour Force Participation
Women have made notable progress in economic activities, especially in rural areas. The rural Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) surged by 23 percentage points, from 24.6% in 2017-18 to 47.6% in 2023-24. The WPR for women doubled, reaching 40.3% in 2023-24, while their LFPR rose to 41.7%. The unemployment rate among women dropped from 5.6% to 3.2%.
Educated Women Gaining Ground
Educated women are increasingly joining the workforce. Among those with post-graduate education and above, participation increased from 34.5% in 2017-18 to 39.6% in 2023-24. Women with higher secondary education also saw a rise in workforce participation, from 11.4% to 23.9% in the same period.
The workforce participation of women with primary-level education doubled, from 24.9% in 2017-18 to 50.2% in 2023-24. The data reflects India’s growing strides toward gender inclusivity in the labour market.
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