Women’s participation in economic activities in India has increased, along with a decline in the unemployment rate and an increase in the number of educated women in the workforce, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Monday. Ministry data also shows a steady increase in women’s earnings across all job categories. Additionally, there has been a sharp increase in female labor force participation in rural areas due to greater participation in economic activities.
The Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics shows that overall Indian labor market indicators have improved over the last six years. This is reflected in the labor force rate (WPR), defined as the percentage of employed people in the population, which increased from 46.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 58.2 per cent in 2023-24.
According to the data, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increased from 49.8 percent to 60.1 percent and the Unemployment Rate (UR) decreased from 6.0 percent to 2 percent during the same period, indicating better availability of employment and economic stability. According to the ministry’s analysis of PLFS data related to the female workforce in the country, there has been significant progress in women’s participation in economic activities in various categories, including rural and urban.
According to the PLFS, there has been a significant increase of 23 percentage points in rural FLFPR between 2017-18 and 2023-24 (24.6 percent in 2017-18 and 47.6 percent in 2023-24), reflecting the growing contribution of women. to rural production.
Women’s WPR will double from 22 per cent in 2017-18 to 40.3 per cent in 2023-24; The LFPR for women increased from 23.3 percent to 41.7 percent and the unemployment rate decreased from 5.6 percent to 3.2 percent. The survey further said that the number of educated women in the workforce has increased. According to PLFS data, around 39.6 per cent of total women with postgraduate or higher educational level are employed in 2023-24, compared to 34.5 per cent in 2017-18.
At the same time, 23.9 per cent of the total women with higher secondary education level are in the workforce in 2023-24, while it was 11.4 per cent in 2017-18. Additionally, around 50.2 per cent of total women educated up to primary level are in the workforce in 2023-24, compared to 24.9 per cent in 2017-18.
