Changes in Labour Force and Employment: Evidence from PLFS Data

The paper analyse and discuss changes in labour force and employment in the recent period using data from periodic labour force surveys of the National Statistical Office (NSO), GOI, for the period 2017–18 to 2021–22. It examines the veracity of assertions such as: (i) decline in worker-to-population ratio in recent years, (ii) increase in unemployment, (iii) withdrawal of women from workforce, and (iv) deterioration in the overall employment scenario in the country, among others. Labour force participation rate (LFPR) and worker-to-population rates (WPR) show significant increase, while unemployment dropped from 6 to 4% between 2017–18 and 2021–22. The period also witnessed sizable increase in female employment as their WPR increased by 50.0%, from 16.5% in 2017–18 to 24.0% in 2021–22. This has led to higher share of women in country’s workforce and diluted dominance of male in all occupation categories.