Lok Sabha Question No. 3896 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Female Labour Force Participation Rate
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3896

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 TH  MARCH, 2025

## FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE

3896.  DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study to increase the female labour force participation rate in the country, State-wise;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the  details  and  number  of  Indian  women  joined  the  labour  force during the last ten years and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (c):  The official data source on Employment and Unemployment is Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) which is conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18. The survey period is July to June every year.

As  per  the  latest  available  Annual  PLFS  reports,  the  estimated Labour  Force  Participation  Rate  (LFPR)  on  usual  status  for  females  of age 15 years and above during 2017-18 to 2023-24 are as follows:

| Year    |   LFPR (in %) |
|---------|---------------|
| 2017-18 |          23.3 |
| 2018-19 |          24.5 |
| 2019-20 |          30   |
| 2020-21 |          32.5 |
| 2021-22 |          32.8 |
| 2022-23 |          37   |
| 2023-24 |          41.7 |

Source: PLFS, MoSPI

The data indicates that the female labour force participation has an increasing trend over the years in the country.

The detailed State-wise information is available in the PLFS reports at which may be seen at the website of MoSPI https://www.mospi.gov.in/downloadreports?main\_cat=ODU5&cat=All&sub\_category=All

Employment  generation  coupled  with  improving  employability  is the  priority  of  the  Government.  Government  is  implementing  various schemes to boost the female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) as well  as  the  overall    LFPR    like  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojana  (PMMY), StandUP  India  Scheme,  Startup  India,  Prime  Minister's  Employment Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Women  in  Science  and  EngineeringKIRAN (WISE-KIRAN), SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research), Mission Shakti, Namo Drone Didi and Lakhpati Didi,  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (MGNREGS),  Pt.  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana (DDU-GKY),  Rural  Self  Employment  and  Training  Institutes  (RSETIs), Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAYNULM),  Production  Linked  Incentive, etc. The  details of various employment  generation  schemes/  programmes  being  implemented  by the Government of India may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes .

To enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is also providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional

Vocational Training Institutes.

A number of provisions have also been incorporated in the labour laws for congenial work environment for women workers, such as paid maternity leave, child care leave, equal wages etc.

All these initiatives are expected to collectively generate employment in the medium to long term through multiplier effects.

In  addition,  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  in  January,  2024 issued  an  'Advisory  for  Employers  to  Promote  Women  Workforce -alia  mentions  the  need  for  balance between employment and care responsibilities for both men and women including  family  friendly  measures  such  as  paternity  leave,  parental

Participation'.  This  advisory  inter leave, family emergency leave and flexible working arrangements.

Further,  the  Union  Budget  (2024-25)  announced  setting  up  of working women hostels in collaboration with industry, and establishing creches, for increasing participation of women in the workforce.

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