Dikhyaa Mohanty 
According to data provided by the Ministry of Statistics on Monday, during the past six years, India’s women’s economic participation has increased, the unemployment rate has decreased, and the proportion of educated women in the workforce has increased. According to data from the Ministry, women’s incomes have been steadily rising across all job categories. Additionally, as a result of increased involvement in economic activities, female labor force participation has sharply grown in rural areas.
Overall labor market indicators in India have improved over the past six years, according to the Ministry of Statistics’ Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). The percentage of employed people in the population, known as the Worker Population Ratio (WPR), rose from 46.8% in 2017–18 to 58.2% in 2023–24, reflecting this. The data showed improved job availability and economic stability as the unemployment rate (UR) dropped substantially from 6.0 percent to 2 percent and the labor force participation rate (LFPR) increased significantly from 49.8 percent to 60.1% during the same time.
The Ministry’s examination of the PLFS data on the nation’s female labor force indicates that there have been notable advancements in women’s involvement in economic activity in both rural and urban areas. According to the PLFS, the rural FLFPR climbed by 23 percentage points between 2017–18 and 2023–24, from 24.6% in 2017–18 to 47.6% in 2023–24. This suggests that women are increasingly contributing to rural production.
The unemployment rate decreased from 5.6% to 3.2%, the WPR for women doubled from 22.3% in 2017–18 to 40.3% in 2023–24, and the LFPR for women rose from 23.3% to 41.7%.According to the poll, the number of educated women in the workforce has been increasing. According to PLFS data, in 2023–24, approximately 39.6% of all women with post-graduate degree or higher are employed, up from 34.5% in 2017–18.
In addition, compared to 11.4 percent in 2017–18, 23.9% of all women with a Higher Secondary education are employed in 2023–24. Furthermore, compared to 24.9 percent in 2017–18, around 50.2% of women with only an elementary education are employed in 2023–24.
