Female workforce participation in cities with over 10 lakh population rises to 27.2% in 2025 from 19.8% in 2017-18: NSO
New Delhi, June 30
Female labour force participation in India's million-plus cities increased to 27.2 per cent in 2025 from 19.8 per cent in 2017-18, reflecting a significant rise in women's engagement in the labour market, according to data released by the National Statistics Office.
The data on labour market dynamics in cities with a population of more than 10 lakh showed that women's participation in the labour force has strengthened steadily over the years.
The NSO data also highlighted an improvement in female employment. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for women in million-plus cities rose to 25.5 per cent, indicating that a larger share of women is employed compared to previous years.
It stated, "As India advances towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, its cities are increasingly emerging as vital centres of economic activity, innovation and employment generation. A deeper understanding of the economic structure and dynamics of the cities assumes increasing importance for informed policymaking, efficient resource allocation and evidence-based governance".
Overall labour force participation in these cities also improved. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in usual status increased to 52.4 per cent in 2025, up from 50.4 per cent in 2021-22 and 47.7 per cent in 2017-18.
The report showed that unemployment levels remained broadly in line with urban India.
The unemployment rate in million-plus cities stood at 4.9 per cent under the usual status approach and 6.8 per cent under the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach, compared with 4.8 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively, for urban India.
Among men, unemployment declined steadily over the years, with the male unemployment rate falling to 4.5 per cent in 2025 from 7.5 per cent in 2017-18.
The report also examined reasons for people staying out of the labour force. Among males, 53.5 per cent cited continuing studies as the main reason for not participating in the labour market.
Among females, 68.7 per cent cited childcare and personal commitments related to homemaking as the primary reason.
The NSO data further showed that earnings in million-plus cities remained higher than the urban India average across employment categories.
Average monthly earnings for self-employed workers stood at Rs 30,858 compared with Rs 23,013 in urban India. Regular salaried employees earned an average of Rs 28,808 per month compared with Rs 26,258 in urban India, while casual labourers earned Rs 624 per day against Rs 550 nationally.
The report also noted that the share of youth aged 15-29 years who were not in employment, education or training (NEET) was lower in million-plus cities at 22.2 per cent compared with 25.0 per cent for urban India.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The rise from 19.8% to 27.2% is encouraging, but look at the reasons why women stay out - 68.7% citing childcare and homemaking. This shows our society still puts the entire burden on women. We need more creches at workplaces and shared parental leave policies. Yaar, real change will take time.
Good to see the data showing improvement in metros. But why does casual labour pay only Rs 624/day in these cities? That's barely enough for rent in Mumbai or Delhi. The self-employed earning Rs 30k/month is promising though - shows entrepreneurship is picking up among urban women.
The NEET rate for youth in million-plus cities being 22.2% vs 25% nationally is a silver lining. But I'm skeptical about how many of these jobs are formal. Many women in my neighborhood in Pune work from home doing data entry or selling products - are they counted? Hope the survey methodology captures gig economy workers too.
Impressive that male unemployment fell from 7.5% to 4.5% in these cities. But the female participation rate is still lagging behind global averages. In China it's over 60% and even in conservative Gulf states it's rising faster. We need targeted skilling programs for women in urban centers. Good first step though!
One must appreciate the government's push for Viksit Bharat. But let's be honest - these numbers are still way below what they should be for a country aiming to be a $5 trillion economy. Our daughters deserve better. The fact that 53.5% of men are 'continuing studies' shows
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