Female Labour Force Participation Rate in India Improves to 37%

Based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey Report 2022-23, the female labour force participation rate in the country improved to 37% this year, a significant increase of 4.2 percentage points.

• This was revealed in the data released by the Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry in its Periodic Labour Force Survey Report 2022-23.
• The Women and Child Development Ministry said the significant jump is due to the Government’s policy initiatives aimed at long-term socio-economic and political development of women.

Benefit of More Female Labour Force Participation Rate

• Unlocking women's potential in the workforce could yield high returns for government and businesses. 

• As per the McKinsey Global Institute's report, India could achieve an 18 percent increase in GDP (worth USD 770 billion) by 2025, as compared to a business-as-usual scenario.

About Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.

Objective of PLFS 

• The aim is to estimate key employment and unemployment indicators for urban areas within a short three-month interval. 
  • Specifically, the Worker Population Ratio, Labor Force Participation Rate, and Unemployment Rate in Current Weekly Status (CWS) will be measured.
• It aims to estimate these indicators for both rural and urban areas annually, covering both Usual Status (ps+ss) and CWS.

Note: (ps+ss) determined considering both principal activity status and subsidiary economic activity status

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR refers to the percentage of the population that is working or actively seeking work.