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.

As per the latest available Annual PLFS reports, the estimated Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) on usual status for age 15 years and above during 2023-24 in the country is 60.1%. Further, the Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for age 15 years and above during 2023-24 in the country is 3.2%.

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). The details of various employment generation schemes/programmes being implemented by the Government may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes .

Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach on a life-cycle continuum basis to address the issue of educational, social, economic and political empowerment of women. As a result, India is witnessing a rapid transition from women’s-development to women-led development with the vision of a new India where women are leading the way for fast paced and sustainable national development.

In order to encourage employment of women, the four Labour Codes - the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 have been implemented with effect from 21st November 2025, rationalizing 29 erstwhile labour laws.

These labour codes have various provisions to promote female labour force participation such as:

·         Proportionate representation of women in Grievance Redressal Committee to ensure their voices are included in workplace dispute resolutions.

·         Up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, along with 12 weeks for adoptive and commissioning mothers and allowing remote work after maternity leave where feasible.

·         Allowing women to work in above-ground mines between 7 pm and 6 am and in below-ground mines between 6 am and 7 pm (with consent) in specific roles, along with other provisions for working women’s safety and health.

·         Prohibition of gender-based discrimination in matters of wages and conditions of employment for the same or similar work.

·         Promoting creche facilities for children below the age of six to help working mothers balance work and family life.

Further, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 has allowed women to be employed in all establishments for all types of work and may also be employed with their consent before 6 a.m. and beyond 7 p.m. subject to conditions relating to safety, holidays and working hours.  The Code also provides that adequate safeguards are to be provided by establishments before engaging women in any hazardous or dangerous processes.

Further, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, is also running the National Career Service (NCS) Portal which is a one-stop solution for providing career related services including jobs from private and government sectors, information on online & offline job fairs, job search & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, skill/training programmes etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].

In addition, the Government is implementing the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme named as the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security across all sectors, with special focus on the manufacturing sector.

With a view to ensure safety of women at workplace, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has put in place an electronic platform “SHe-Box portal” duly encompassing various provisions of ‘the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013’ (SH Act).

This information was given by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Sushri Shobha Karandlaje in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander