RBI Grade BNABARD ESISEBI
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Context: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 shows a significant increase in the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) since 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic — with the rise more pronounced in rural areas than urban.
“RBI MPC Unpacked: Key Theory Meets Today’s Macro Trends”Tap to play · from the C4S channel
Key Figures to Remember
- Overall FLFPR (age 15+): rose from 30% in 2019-20 to 40% in 2025
- Rural FLFPR: rose from 33% to 45.9%
- Urban FLFPR: rose from 23.3% to 27.7%
What FLFPR Means
- The Female Labour Force Participation Rate is the share of working-age women who are either working or actively looking for work.
- It counts both the employed and the unemployed-but-seeking. A woman engaged only in unpaid domestic work is not counted in the labour force.
Average Annual Percentage Point (AAPP)
- The article uses Average Annual Percentage Point (AAPP) change — how many percentage points a State’s FLFPR rose each year on average between 2019-20 and 2025.
- The limitation: AAPP measures only the pace of change, not the level a State started from
Rural Areas
| Category | States |
|---|---|
| Above national average | West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana |
| Below national average | Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, 5 Southern States |
Rural: Baseline + Pace
| Category | States |
|---|---|
| Low baseline + fast improvement | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana |
| Low baseline + slow improvement | Goa, Punjab |
| High baseline + fast improvement | Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan |
| High baseline + slow improvement | Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, 5 Southern States |
Urban Areas
| Category | States |
|---|---|
| Strongest improvement | Rajasthan, Gujarat |
| Above national average | Uttarakhand, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh |
| Below national average | Remaining States |
Urban: Baseline + Pace
| Category | States |
|---|---|
| Low baseline + fast improvement | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Bihar |
| Low baseline + slow improvement | Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab |
| High baseline + fast improvement | Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh |
