Women, youth leading charge in workforce participation in India in 2024: Report

New Delhi, Dec 26
India in 2024 saw a boom in employment rates, with women and youth leading the charge in workforce participation, according to a report.

The report by Apna.co, a job and professional networking platform, showed women contributed an impressive 2.8 crore job applications -- 20 per cent higher than in 2023. Similarly, the youth posted a 27 per cent year-on-year increase in job applications.

Women contributed an impressive 2.8 crore job applications out of a total of 7 crore, a 25 per cent year-on-year surge, in 2024.

Flexible work opportunities, gender-focused initiatives, and the expansion of women-led sectors like e-commerce and healthcare are the primary drivers behind the growth, noted the report.

Women excelled across sectors like healthcare, hospitality, retail, and e-commerce, and embraced unconventional roles such as field sales, logistics, and security services. Applications for senior and managerial roles surged by 32 per cent, signaling women’s growing influence in shaping India’s new-age workforce.

Tier 1 cities like Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Mumbai led this surge with 1.52 crore applications, while Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, and Bhopal contributed 1.28 crore, marking a significant rise in opportunities beyond metro hubs, the report said.

Further, the report noted that India's fresher job market is also thriving, with a 27 per cent year-on-year increase in job applications, crossing 2 crore.

High-growth sectors like IT, mobility, retail, BFSI, and services are driving demand as young professionals propel innovation and expansion. Urban hubs like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad contributed 60 lakh applications, while regions like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar added 82 lakh, showcasing a balanced regional contribution.

Meanwhile, online job postings rose by 20 per cent YoY with over 12 lakh openings in 2024. This was driven by digital adoption, growth in the Small and Medium Business (SMB) sector, and business expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, said the report. Key industries like BFSI, retail, healthcare, and logistics created unprecedented demand, shaping India’s evolving and resilient job market.

India’s SMB sector, comprising over 63 million enterprises, remains a key economic driver, contributing 30 per cent to GDP and employing millions nationwide.

The hiring boom is also powered by AI-driven recruitment technologies, with 45 per cent of SMBs adopting AI in hiring. This enabled the creation of 2.4 lakh job postings, reducing talent search time by 30 per cent and hiring costs by 25 per cent.