NSO data showed that female labor force participation in India’s major cities is expected to increase from 19.8% in 2017-18 to 27.2% in 2025. This reflects a significant increase in women’s participation in the labor market.
According to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), female labor force participation in India’s cities with a population of more than one million has increased from 19.8 percent in 2017-18 to 27.2 percent in 2025. This reflects a significant increase in women’s participation in the labor market.
Data on labor market dynamics in cities with a population of more than 1 million have shown that women’s participation in the labor force has steadily strengthened over the past few years. The NSO data also highlights improvements in female employment. The worker population ratio (WPR) for women in cities with a population of more than one million increased to 25.5 percent, indicating that a larger share of women are now employed compared to previous years.
The overall labor force also improved
“As India moves towards the vision of a developed India, its cities are emerging as important hubs of economic activity, innovation and job creation,” the report said. ‘A deep understanding of the economic structure and dynamics of cities is of increasing importance for informed policy-making, efficient resource allocation and evidence-based governance.’
Overall labor force participation has also improved in these cities. Under normal circumstances, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increased to 52.4 per cent in 2025 from 50.4 per cent in 2021-22 and 47.7 per cent in 2017-18.
Unemployment rate decline, reasons different for men and women
The report showed that unemployment levels remained largely the same as in urban India. The unemployment rate in cities with a population of more than one million stood at 4.9 per cent under the normalcy approach and 6.8 per cent under the current weekly status (CWS) approach, while for urban India it was 4.8 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively. Among men, there has been a steady decline in unemployment over the past few years, with the male unemployment rate falling from 7.5 per cent in 2017-18 to 4.5 per cent in 2025.
The report also examined the reasons people remain out of the labor force. Among men, 53.5 percent cited continuing their studies as the main reason for not participating in the labor market. At the same time, 68.7 percent of women cited personal commitments related to child care and household as the primary reason.
Earning more and NEET youth also less
The NSO data also showed that earnings in cities with a population of more than one million remained higher than the urban India average across all categories of employment. The average monthly earnings of self-employed workers stood at Rs 30,858, compared to Rs 23,013 in urban India. Regular salaried employees earned an average of Rs 28,808 per month, compared to Rs 26,258 in urban India. At the same time, daily wage laborers earned Rs 624 per day compared to Rs 550 at the national level.
The report also noted that the share of youth aged 15-29 who were not in employment, education or training (NEET) was 22.2 per cent in cities with a population of more than one million, compared to 25.0 per cent for urban India.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet News editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)