Higher-Quality Jobs Tied to Women-Led Families: SBI Study

By: WE Staff | Monday, 11 May 2026

• SBI study reveals that women-led households show stronger shift towards secure and salaried employment
• Education and financial autonomy improve women’s labour market outcomes
• India’s workforce transition gains pace amid rise in formal sector jobs

A recent SBI research study using detailed PLFS 2025 data reveals that women-led household are steadily transitioning towards more secure and quality employment, underscoring a structural change in India’s employment landscape.

Research findings showed that women-headed households have a 4.4% higher likelihood of securing regular salaried employment. The probability of casual labour participation declines by 4.2% with self-employment levels, remaining largely unchanged.

As per the study,“India’s labour force is undergoing structural transformation, with the share of agriculture in the workforce witnessing a modest 23 per cent decline from 66 per cent in 1987-88 to 43 per cent in 2023-24 over a 37-year period. Large enterprises (more than 20 workers) now employ 13.7 per cent of the workforce, significantly higher than 10.8 per cent in 2024 due to the government’s renewed push on manufacturing,”

Growing financial autonomy and decision-making authority among women are contributing to increased participation insecure employment opportunities. The findings spans across 2.7 lakh households and more than 11.48 lakh individuals, evaluating impact of demographic and industrial factors on India’s evolving employment ecosystem.

It was noted that women-led households saw lower casual labor in rural India and higher wage employment in urban areas. Reflecting improved job quality driven by stronger bargaining power. Education levels were found to improve women’s employment outcomes reducing casual labour participation from 0.21 among non-literate women to 0.12 among those with middle-to-secondary education.