The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Friday (October 3) released new data that signals one of the most significant transformations in the country’s job market in decades. Employment in India has grown from 47.5 crore in 2017-18 to 64.33 crore in 2023-24, a net addition of 16.83 crore jobs in six years. This surge is not just statistical, it marks a deep structural shift in India’s economy, driven by reforms, digitalisation, and targeted government policies. At the same time, the unemployment rate has fallen from six percent in 2017-18 to just 3.2 percent, a figure well below the global average.
A global workforce powerhouse
The significance of this cannot be overstated. As the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights, India is set to contribute nearly two-thirds of the new entrants to the global workforce in the coming years. For a nation of 1.4 billion people, these numbers reflect not just growth but stability, ensuring that its young population can become the backbone of both national and global economic engines.
Tracking the change: Labour force surveys
The government tracks employment trends primarily through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), conducted by the National Statistics Office. Covering 3.77 lakh individuals, with 2.16 lakh in rural areas and 1.61 lakh in urban areas, the latest August 2025 update provides comprehensive insights.
Between June and August 2025, the Labour Force Participation Rate rose from 54.2 percent to 55 percent, while the Worker Population Ratio improved from 51.2 percent to 52.2 percent.
On a longer horizon, the shift is even more dramatic: Labour Force Participation jumped from 49.8 percent in 2017-18 to 60.1 percent in 2023-24, while the Worker Population Ratio rose from 46.8 percent to 58.2 percent. These numbers show that not only are more Indians seeking jobs, but more of them are successfully finding employment.
The rural–urban divide
Employment patterns remain deeply shaped by India’s rural-urban divide. In rural India, agriculture continues to dominate, employing 44.6 percent of men and 70.9 percent of women, although non-farm opportunities are slowly diversifying the landscape.
In urban India, services form the backbone of employment, with 60.6 percent of men and 64.9 percent of women working in the tertiary sector, ranging from IT to hospitality. In absolute terms, 56.4 crore people aged 15 and above were employed in the April–June 2025 quarter, comprising 39.7 crore men and 16.7 crore women.
Rise of formal employment
One of the clearest signs of economic modernisation is the growth of formal employment, as reflected in EPFO subscriber data. In 2024-25 alone, 1.29 crore net subscribers were added, double the 61.12 lakh recorded in 2018-19.
Since September 2017, over 7.73 crore net subscribers have joined, with July 2025 alone recording a net addition of 4.42 lakh, including 2.80 lakh new female subscribers. Remarkably, 60 percent of new subscribers are in the 18–25 age group, reflecting the entry of young graduates and first-time workers into the formal economy.
From casual labour to entrepreneurship
Employment patterns are also shifting decisively towards entrepreneurship and self-employment. The share of self-employed workers has risen from 52.2 percent in 2017-18 to 58.4 percent in 2023-24, while casual labour has declined from 24.9 percent to 19.8 percent, signalling reduced dependency on unstable daily-wage work. This shift is linked to government-backed entrepreneurship schemes, digital platforms, and the rise of the gig economy, moving the labour force from survival-based work to more aspirational models.
The job expansion has been accompanied by rising incomes, which point to qualitative improvements. The average daily wage for casual labourers (excluding public works) increased from Rs 294 in 2017 to Rs 433 in 2024, while the monthly earnings of regular salaried workers rose from Rs 16,538 to Rs 21,103 over the same period. This rise in income not only boosts household prosperity but also fuels consumption, a key driver of India’s growth story.
Youth employment: A positive turnaround
India’s young workforce has been at the centre of policy focus, and results are visible. The youth unemployment rate fell from 17.8 percent in 2017-18 to 10.2 percent in 2023-24, significantly below the global average of 13.3 percent as reported by the ILO in 2024. As of August 2025, male unemployment stood at just five percent, the lowest since April, with urban unemployment easing to 5.9 percent and rural unemployment dropping to 4.3 percent, down from 5.1 percent in May.
The women’s workforce revolution
Perhaps the most remarkable transformation is the rise of women’s participation in the economy. Female labour force participation has nearly doubled from 23.3 percent in 2017-18 to 41.7 percent in 2023-24, while the female worker population ratio rose from 22 percent to 40.3 percent in the same period. In August 2025 alone, female labour force participation rose from 32 percent to 33.7 percent, and the worker population ratio from 30.2 percent to 32 percent.
EPFO data shows 26.9 lakh net female subscribers in 2024-25, with July alone accounting for 2.80 lakh additions. Government schemes like Lakhpati Didi, Mission Shakti, and Namo Drone Didi have played a pivotal role in integrating women into mainstream sectors, from agriculture technology to small-scale entrepreneurship.
Sunrise sectors and the gig economy
The next wave of jobs is emerging from sunrise sectors such as healthcare technology, fintech, ed-tech, and renewable energy, while the gig economy is projected to double from one crore workers in 2024-25 to 2.35 crore by 2029-30. The e-Shram portal has already registered over 31.20 crore workers as of September 2025.
Meanwhile, India’s thriving startup ecosystem, now the third largest in the world, has created 17 lakh jobs and produced 118 unicorns by 2025. With 1,700 Global Capability Centres employing two million people, India is being hailed as the “GCC Capital of the World.”
Government policy has combined skill development, entrepreneurship, and public-private partnerships to strengthen employment. Initiatives such as the Skill India Mission, Rozgar Melas, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, ITI upgradation programmes, and the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme aim to train and employ millions.
Social safety nets like MGNREGA, with a record Rs 86,000 crore allocation, and the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, with a Rs 99,446 crore budget, ensure inclusion of rural and vulnerable communities in the employment growth story. Special emphasis has also been placed on women through schemes like Namo Drone Didi, Mission Shakti, Lakhpati Didi, and Bank Sakhi initiatives, which have helped millions achieve sustainable livelihoods.
Jobs as the true growth metric
India’s employment boom is not just about numbers; it represents a transformation in the quality, inclusivity, and sustainability of work. The addition of 16.83 crore jobs in six years, record-low unemployment, and the rising inclusion of women and youth all point to a structural shift in the economy.
While GDP growth often captures headlines, the true measure of India’s progress lies in its ability to generate meaningful employment. As India positions itself as the world’s labour capital, its employment story is emerging as not just a domestic success but a global model of inclusive growth.
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