Why in the news
The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025 shows more women in the workforce since the pandemic, with the increase sharper in villages than in cities.
Key facts
- Overall FLFPR (15+): 30% (2019-20) to 40% (2025).
- Rural FLFPR: 33% to 45.9%.
- Urban FLFPR: 23.3% to 27.7%.
- FLFPR means: working-age women who are employed or looking for work.
- AAPP: Average Annual Percentage Point change in a State’s FLFPR; it shows pace, not the starting level.
Rural trend
| Baseline and pace | States |
|---|
| Low start, fast rise | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana |
| Low start, slow rise | Goa, Punjab |
| High start, fast rise | Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan |
| High start, slow rise | Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and five Southern States |
Urban trend
| Baseline and pace | States |
|---|
| Low start, fast rise | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Bihar |
| Low start, slow rise | Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab |
| High start, fast rise | Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh |
Against the national average
- Rural above: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana.
- Urban strongest rise: Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Exam angle
- Survey name: Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025.
- Definition: labour force = working plus job-seeking.
- Figures: 30% to 40% overall; rural 45.9%; urban 27.7%.
- Concept: AAPP measures pace of change only.