Labour Markets

A new survey shows that nearly 69% of non-working urban women in India have left their jobs mainly because of childcare and household duties. In comparison, just 3.8% of men say the same. This gap points to how social expectations still put most caregiving on women, making it tough for them to stay in the workforce.

As per National Statistics Office's recent survey, nearly 69 percent of non-working urban women cite childcare and domestic responsibilities as the key reason for staying out of the workforce.

Jobs are changing. Skills are becoming obsolete. And policies are falling behind. This was the stark consensus at a global webinar bringing together economists, labour experts, and development practitioners from across the Global South — all united by one urgent message: the time for incremental reforms is over.

Bangladesh needs urgent policy reforms to prepare its workforce for the technological and structural changes that will reshape jobs over the next decade, experts said at a global webinar organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

India's vocational training system has expanded rapidly, but weak ITIs continue to undermine skill development. This article examines the gaps in training quality, industry linkages and employment outcomes, and outlines the reforms needed to make ITIs a credible pathway to skilled jobs.

While more young rural women are entering the workforce through skilling programmes, staying in formal employment remains a challenge. Drawing on research by JustJobs Network and PRADAN, this article explores the social, familial, and workplace barriers that shape women’s employment journeys and argues that skills alone are not enough without sustained support, safe migration pathways, and better job quality.

Urban women’s participation in India’s labour market remains limited despite rising overall female labour force participation. This article examines whether platform work can enable women’s economic empowerment. It finds that platforms often reproduce inequalities through unpaid care burdens, unsafe mobility, and weak protections. Without improved infrastructure, childcare, safety, and labour protections, it risks becoming digitised informality rather than a pathway to mobility.

Digital platforms are rapidly transforming work across Asia and the Pacific, offering flexible income opportunities while expanding service-led economic growth. However, the rise of gig and platform work also raises concerns about worker protections, income stability and the need for updated labour regulations.

The State of Finance in India- Report 2024–25 highlights the growing vulnerabilities of India’s gig and platform workers. In her chapter, Sabina Dewan examines how digital platforms are reshaping labour relations and protections, underscores critical policy gaps and calls for a more equitable framework for platform-based work.

JustJobs Network has been cited by Meghalaya Monitor, with the article noting that JJN's analysis converges with the ILO (International Labour Organization) and India's own gig-economy policy discussions on a key idea: social protection must become a universal floor linked to citizenship or residency, with contributions from workers, firms and the state, and with portability across jobs, sectors and states.