Mumbai: Not only have more women lost jobs than men during this period global pandemic, but fewer women are also returning to work. The latest bulletin from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy states that between 2019 and 2021, the number of women actively looking for work each month declined by 3 million.CMIE) and the Center for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA).
CMIE data shows that 22.1% fewer women were employed in urban India in 2021 as compared to 2019. Although 9.52 million women actively looked for jobs every month in 2019, it declined to only 6.52 million in 2021. It is based on the State-wise of CMIE. Monthly time-series of employment that goes up to January 2019. According to CMIE data, this was in contrast to the trend of the male workforce. The number of male workers actively looking for jobs in 2021 increased by 19.7% in urban India and by 14.9% in rural India (compared to 2019).
The tendency for fewer women to return to work was observed in both urban and rural India. In urban India, only 2.57 million women actively searched for jobs every month in 2021, compared to 3.87 million (33.7%) in 2019, CMIE data showed. In rural India, only 3.95 million women actively sought jobs in 2021, compared to 5.16 million (down 23.5 per cent) in 2020 and 2021.
The decline in male employment in one quarter showed a comparable increase in the number of men actively looking for jobs. Such a trend was not observed in women.
Four states saw a decline of more than 50% in average monthly female employment in 2021 as compared to 2019. These were Tamil Nadu (50.9%), Goa (56%), Jammu and Kashmir (61%) and Punjab (57.9%). Barring Jharkhand, all eastern Indian states (West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh) registered a significant increase in female employment in 2021 as compared to 2020.
The data shows that unlike male employment, the country also had an urban-rural divide in terms of female employment. Average female employment in urban India in 2021 was 6.9% lower than in 2020 and 22.1% lower than in the pre-pandemic year 2019. However, in rural India, female employment in 2021 was 9.2% higher than in 2020 and only 0.1% lower than in 2019. Hence, there has been a significant reversal in female employment in urban India since the pandemic.
CMIE data shows that 22.1% fewer women were employed in urban India in 2021 as compared to 2019. Although 9.52 million women actively looked for jobs every month in 2019, it declined to only 6.52 million in 2021. It is based on the State-wise of CMIE. Monthly time-series of employment that goes up to January 2019. According to CMIE data, this was in contrast to the trend of the male workforce. The number of male workers actively looking for jobs in 2021 increased by 19.7% in urban India and by 14.9% in rural India (compared to 2019).
The tendency for fewer women to return to work was observed in both urban and rural India. In urban India, only 2.57 million women actively searched for jobs every month in 2021, compared to 3.87 million (33.7%) in 2019, CMIE data showed. In rural India, only 3.95 million women actively sought jobs in 2021, compared to 5.16 million (down 23.5 per cent) in 2020 and 2021.
The decline in male employment in one quarter showed a comparable increase in the number of men actively looking for jobs. Such a trend was not observed in women.
Four states saw a decline of more than 50% in average monthly female employment in 2021 as compared to 2019. These were Tamil Nadu (50.9%), Goa (56%), Jammu and Kashmir (61%) and Punjab (57.9%). Barring Jharkhand, all eastern Indian states (West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh) registered a significant increase in female employment in 2021 as compared to 2020.
The data shows that unlike male employment, the country also had an urban-rural divide in terms of female employment. Average female employment in urban India in 2021 was 6.9% lower than in 2020 and 22.1% lower than in the pre-pandemic year 2019. However, in rural India, female employment in 2021 was 9.2% higher than in 2020 and only 0.1% lower than in 2019. Hence, there has been a significant reversal in female employment in urban India since the pandemic.
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