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India's Female Workforce Booms, But Jobs Lag
2 Nov
Summary
- Nearly 100 million women joined India's workforce since 2017-18.
- Most new jobs are in agriculture, self-employment, or unpaid work.
- Gender wage gap widened; women earn 45% of men's earnings.
India has seen a dramatic increase in its female workforce, with nearly 100 million more women participating in the labor market since 2017-18, raising the worker population ratio from 22% to 38% by 2025. This surge, however, is largely concentrated in rural areas and within agriculture, self-employment, and unpaid family work, rather than formal, regular salaried employment.
The primary sector saw an increase in rural women's employment share, while secondary and tertiary sectors experienced declines. Specifically, own-account work and unpaid family roles absorbed a larger portion of the female workforce, with regular salaried jobs comprising only 9.3% of rural women's employment in 2025. This shift has not improved economic standing.
Crucially, the rise in participation has not closed the gender wage gap; it has widened. By 2025, rural women earned only 45% of rural men's earnings, a decrease from 53% in 2017-18. Urban women also earn significantly less than their male counterparts. Women continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic and care work, impacting their paid work hours and personal time.
Experts suggest that fostering more formal, better-paid employment is crucial for meaningful participation. This requires investment in childcare, transport, and care infrastructure, alongside industrial and skilling policies to facilitate women's entry into higher-productivity sectors.
