Noida: Over the years, women’s participation in the workforce has steadily increased, reflecting positive strides towards gender diversity in the workplace. Tracking this progress, Careernet, India’s leading talent solutions provider, has released its annual report, ‘The State of Women’s Employment in India’.
The report delves into women’s placements over the years, cities that lead the way in female hiring, sectors with increased women participation, and hiring at different experience levels. For this report, Careernet analyses 30,000 placement samples from each year between CY 2019 and CY 2024, drawn from Careernet’s overall placement data.
The report highlights that over the past six years, women’s placements have increased by six per cent, from 26 per cent to 32 per cent, indicating a growing trend of more women entering the workforce. Notably, one in three candidates placed by Careernet is a woman, marking the highest representation in six years and a consistent trend over the last two years.
On the location-wise hiring, Bengaluru (32 per cent), Delhi/NCR (28 per cent), and Hyderabad (27 per cent) emerged as the leading cities for female hiring in 2024. This marks a shift from the previous two years, where Hyderabad (34 per cent), Pune (33 per cent), Bengaluru (30 per cent), and Chennai (30 per cent) held the top positions.
However, Mumbai recorded the lowest percentage of female candidate placements among Tier One cities in 2024 at 25 per cent. Delhi-NCR showed an upward trend, reaching 28 per cent in 2024, compared to 20 per cent in CY 2023 and 22 per cent in CY 2022. On another note, the hiring of female candidates in Tier Two and other cities has witnessed a steady rise, with a five per cent increase over the past three years. Industries, too, have played a critical role in shaping these hiring trends.
The sectoral analysis suggests that BFSI GCCs have been at the forefront of women’s hiring over the past three years—CY 2022 (40 per cent), CY 2023 (43 per cent), and CY 2024 (44 per cent)—while other domain GCCs have also shown a steady demand for female candidates. The IT services sector has maintained a stable participation rate of 29–30 per cent, reflecting sustained efforts toward gender diversity.
The report indicates that startups have recorded a nine per cent point increase in women’s hiring from CY 2022 to CY 2024. This demonstrates a proactive approach by the startup ecosystem towards building an inclusive work environment. However, domestic enterprises experienced an around 5 per cent decline in female hiring in CY 2024 compared to the previous year, highlighting the need for renewed efforts in this segment.
The report also revealed that while freshers continue to dominate women’s hiring, there has been a slight dip of around two per cent from CY 2023. The placement of women at mid-level positions, with work experience ranging from three to 12 years, has remained steady, hovering between 23 per cent and 27 per cent year-on-year. At the senior level (12+ years of experience), hiring dipped by one per cent to reach 19 per cent in CY 2024. However, the long-term trend remains promising, with a two-per-cent point increase from CY 2022, indicating growing opportunities for women in leadership roles.
Commenting on the report, Neelabh Shkula, CBO of Careernet said:
“The evolving landscape of women’s employment in India reflects both progress and areas that require sustained efforts. The rise in women’s hiring across startups and Tier-II cities underscores a positive shift towards inclusivity. Careernet’s report, a detailed analysis of the current scenario, signals a positive future for women in the workforce. We remain committed to creating meaningful change by being a catalyst for women joining/re-joining the workforce across sectors.”
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