Women make up at least 40% of the workforce in 57.8% of India’s districts, according to the first-ever district-level labour data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on 18 September 2026.
The release maps labour force participation, employment and youth activity for people aged 15 and above across the 100 most populous districts. Surat in Gujarat recorded the highest Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) at 68.6% and the highest Worker Population Ratio (WPR) at 67.8%. Araria in Bihar followed on LFPR at 68%, and Salem in Tamil Nadu at 67.8%. On WPR, Araria came second at 67.4% and Banaskantha in Gujarat third at 66.6%. Darbhanga in Bihar recorded the lowest levels on both counts.
The data also tracks youth who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). Ernakulam in Kerala reported the lowest NEET at 9.6%, followed by Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu at 14.5% and Bengaluru (Urban) in Karnataka at 15%. Among state-capital districts, Shimla logged the highest LFPR and WPR at 70% and 65.1%, ahead of Thiruvananthapuram and Raipur. The lowest unemployment rates were in Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata, both at 1.9%, and Bengaluru (Urban) at 2.5%.
According to the NSO, about 98.8% of districts recorded an LFPR between 40% and 80%, and comparisons with earlier estimates built on NSS Regions are not appropriate because the new design is structured for district-level representation.
The figures land against a longer national trend. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data shows the female LFPR rising from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, driven largely by rural gains. India was ranked 131st on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2026, with 64.5% of its gap closed, a reminder that headline participation and workplace parity remain separate measures.
