New Delhi: There has been an enhanced engagement of women in economic activity in India, accompanied by a declining unemployment rate and upward trend of educated women in the workforce over the last six years, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Monday.
The Ministry’s figures also show a steady increase in the earnings of women across employment categories. Besides, there has been a sharp rise in female labour force participation in rural areas due to an increased participation in economic activities.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics shows that the overall Indian labour market indicators have improved in the last six years. This is reflected in the Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population, increased from 46.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 58.2 per cent in 2023-24.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) rose significantly from 49.8 per cent to 60.1 per cent during the same period and unemployment Rate (UR) declined sharply from 6.0 per cent to 2 per cent, marking improved job availability and economic stability, according to the data.
According to the Ministry’s analysis of the PLFS data pertaining to the female labour force in the country, there have been significant strides in female participation in economic activity across various categories, including rural and urban.
As per the PLFS, the rural FLFPR has increased significantly by 23 percentage points between 2017-18 and 2023-24 (24.6 per cent in 2017-18 and 47.6 per cent in 2023-24) indicating a rising contribution of women to rural production.
WPR for Women doubled from 22 per cent in 2017-18 to 40.3 per cent in 2023-24; LFPR for Women increased from 23.3 per cent to 41.7 per cent and unemployment rate was reduced from 5.6 per cent to 3.2 per cent.The survey further stated that there has been an upward trend of educated women in workforce. As per PLFS data, around 39.6 per cent of total women with education level of post-graduate and above are working in 2023-24, compared to 34.5 per cent in 2017-18.
At the same time, 23.9 per cent of total women with an education level of Higher Secondary are in the workforce in 2023-24, as compared to 11.4 percent in 2017-18. Further, out of total women educated up to primary level, around 50.2 per cent are in the workforce in 2023-24, compared to 24.9 per cent in 2017-18.
