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Women saw higher wage growth than men in 2025: Govt data
Salaried, casual and self-employed women still earn far less than men despite stronger income growth, government data shows
New Delhi: Women in India saw faster wage growth than men across most job categories in 2025, but the gender pay gap remains stubbornly wide, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the government.
Data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) shows women’s earnings rising across the board:
- Salaried jobs:Â up 7.2 per cent versus 5.8 per cent for men
- Self-employment:Â up 8.8 per cent versus 8 per cent for men
- Casual labour: up 5.4 per cent while men’s earnings fell 0.2 per cent
Despite the gains, women still earn only 76 per cent of men’s salaries in salaried roles, 69 per cent in casual work, and just 36 per cent in self-employment, highlighting persistent structural disparities.
The survey also shows a slow shift towards better-quality work. The share of women in salaried jobs rose to 18.2 per cent in 2025 from 16.6 per cent, while self-employment dropped to 64.2 per cent. Casual labour edged up slightly to 17.6 per cent. Overall salaried employment increased to 23.6 per cent of total employment from 22.4 per cent.
Rural unemployment dipped to 2.4 per cent, urban unemployment to 4.8 per cent, and youth unemployment fell to 9.9 per cent, though female youth unemployment rose to 11.3 per cent. Labour force participation remained mixed, with rural LFPR declining to 62.8 per cent and urban LFPR steady at 52.2 per cent.
The government estimates 616 million people were employed in 2025, including 416 million men and 200 million women.
A slowdown in the informal economy adds pressure, with wage growth at 3.9 per cent, new establishments dropping to 5.85 million, and job creation falling to 7.45 million. Since many women work in informal and self-employed segments, this leaves them exposed to income volatility and limited social protection.
Faster earnings growth may help households, but the pay gap and concentration in low-paying roles continue to restrict women’s financial independence. The slow rise in salaried employment is a silver lining, offering potential for stable incomes and formal benefits.
Jobs
India to hold its first ‘workplace happiness’ awards in Mumbai
A new initiative wants to make employee wellbeing a boardroom priority, not an afterthought
MUMBAI: India’s corporate world has a new trophy to chase, and this one is not for profits or market share. Happiest Places to Work has announced the country’s first awards dedicated entirely to workplace happiness, with the inaugural ceremony set to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai towards the end of July.
The timing is deliberate. As employee experience increasingly shapes business outcomes, the awards aim to shift the conversation from perks and policies to something harder to fake: how people actually feel at work. Entries are open to organisations across sectors and sizes, and the evaluation process is designed to cut through corporate spin, combining a structured Happiness Dialogue, a culture audit and a final jury review to produce measurable insights into employee experience.
The awards will be chaired by Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Group, and judged by a heavyweight jury that reads like a who’s who of Indian business and human resources. It includes Achal Khanna, chief executive of SHRM for the Asia-Pacific and MENA regions, Harit Nagpal, managing director and chief executive of Tata Play, Pavitra Singh, chief human resources officer at PepsiCo India and South Asia, and Sunita Cherian, former chief culture officer at Wipro, among others.
“Workplace happiness is becoming central to how organisations grow and perform,” said Goenka. “Platforms like these help bring that conversation to the forefront.”
Raj Nayak, founder of Happiest Places to Work, was more direct. “Organisations often overlook the everyday employee experience,” he said. “These awards recognise companies that get it right consistently, where how people feel at work truly matters.”
India’s corner offices have long measured success in revenue, headcount and market capitalisation. If this initiative takes hold, employee happiness may finally earn a place on that list.
The question now is whether the companies that need it most will bother to enter.
