Women in the Indian Workforce
Rohini Somanathan
February, 2023
Women in the Indian Workforce

Female labor participation, 2021
Women in the Indian Workforce

The U-shaped hypothesis
Explanations:
demographic transition
structural transformation
technical change
social norms
Women in the Indian Workforce

Historical trajectories, OECD
Post-war increases tracked
economic expansion
but also social spending
Women in the Indian Workforce

India vs. other south-asian countries
puzzle of declining participation
over the last 15 years
Women in the Indian Workforce

Correlates: fertility?
India is not an outlier
Women in the Indian Workforce

Correlates: Education ?
stagnant secondary school
enrollment in the last decade
Women in the Indian Workforce

Occupational patterns: low education
agriculture and construction
dominate
women- personal services
men - transport
Women in the Indian Workforce

Occupational patterns: high education
women- education, medical
men- various
Women in the Indian Workforce

Participation by gender and education
U-shape only for women
Women in the Indian Workforce

With and without children
differences only for women
Women in the Indian Workforce

Final thoughts
On the demand side
The private sector has an important role to play in recruitment and training
But we need complementary increases in social spending on
childcare and basic education
Women in the Indian Workforce