Rural-Urban Divide in Female Labour Force Participation: PLFS 2025

Source: The Hindu

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.

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

Rural: Baseline + Pace

Urban Areas

Urban: Baseline + Pace