Women’s participation in workforce up 23% y-o-y in Q1 2025

BENGALURU: Driven by flexible work options, greater focus on gender diversity and more opportunities in sectors like BPO, finance and HR, women’s participation in the country’s workforce saw a 23% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in the first quarter of 2025. Of the total 1.81 crore job applications, over 62 lakh came from women, and the shift was felt across the spectrum—freshers, mothers re-entering the workforce, and career switchers all contributed, according to Apna’s latest ‘India at Work – Quarter (Q1) 2025’ report.