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This is an archive article published on March 2, 2024

Female unemployment rate falls by three times in three years: Delhi Economic Survey

While the female unemployment rate has reduced and their labour force rate has gone up marginally, men still dominate the workforce — they have a labor force participation rate of 57.1% as of 2022-23, over 5 times greater.

female unemployment, female unemployment rate in Delhi, delhi economic survey, urban unemployment, rural unemployment, Female labour force participation, indiane express newsFemale labour force participation rate is, however, stagnant — it has grown by a mere 0.6 percentage points in the last three years (from 10.7% to 11.3%). (Representatoional Image)

Between 2020 and 2023, the female unemployment rate in Delhi has fallen from 6.4% to 2.2% — a drop of three times in as many years, according to the recent economic survey. This has occurred due to the urban unemployment rate falling from 6.5% to 2.2% in the same period, the report further stated. Significantly, this has come at a time when labor force participation rates in women have marginally risen.

Female labour force participation rate is, however, stagnant — it has grown by a mere 0.6 percentage points in the last three years (from 10.7% to 11.3%). Rural female labour force participation, on the other hand, has fallen from 6.9% to 2.9% in the same period. This number is slightly less significant because Delhi is highly urbanised and has only 3% of its population in rural areas. Another trend that stands out is the fall in Delhi’s female unemployment rate for women aged 15 to 29 years. After Nagaland and Lakshadweep, Delhi has seen the sharpest fall in the female unemployment rates (15 to 29 years) in India from 2019-20 to 2022-23, according to data.

Nagaland and Lakshadweep combined have a population of just over 20 lakhs according to the 2011 census – almost 10 times lower than Delhi. Of the states and UTs with over 1 crore population, Delhi performed the best by far. In four years, Delhi’s female unemployment rate (15 to 29 years old) fell by over 21 percentage points — from 27.5% to 6.2%. Around the same time, the national female unemployment rate fell from 14.6% to 10.6%. Delhi’s female unemployment rate in 2019-20 was almost double of India’s average, while in 2022-23, it was almost half the average for the country.

While the female unemployment rate has reduced and their labour force rate has gone up marginally, men still dominate the workforce — they have a labor force participation rate of 57.1% as of 2022-23, over 5 times greater.

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.  2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

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