Women's share in blue-grey collar jobs growing, but attrition remains a challenge: Report
₹ 2,000 per month.(Pixabay/Representative)
Despite women's overall share in blue-grey collar roles rising to 19 per cent in FY24 from 16 per cent in FY21, as per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report, the cohort faces high early attrition rates that threatens productivity, continuity, and India's ability to achieve its USD 30 trillion economy goal by 2047, according to a report, 'State of Women in the Blue-Grey Collar Workforce-2025'.
State of Women in the Blue-Grey Collar Workforce-2025' report by the Udaiti Foundation and Quess Corp is based on a survey with over 10,000 current and 1,500 former women workers across sectors like retail, manufacturing, BFSI, and services.
According to the report, 52 per cent of the respondents with less than one year of experience said they are planning to quit within the next 12 months, compared to just 3 per cent among those who cross the two-year mark, underscoring the need for interventions to arrest attrition at an early stage.
Of the 1,500 women who left jobs in the last 6 months, 67 per cent of them are out of the workforce for multiple reasons, it stated.
"There is tremendous opportunity for India to unlock its full economic potential. We have demonstrated that we can open doors for women, and the unlock lies in creating systems that enable them to thrive and grow. Women aren't leaving because they lack capability, they are leaving because we haven't yet built the infrastructure and designed workplaces for their success," the Udaiti Foundation Founding CEO Pooja Goyal said.
With India's blue-grey collar economy projected to comprise 70 per cent of the workforce by 2030, investing in women's retention and advancement isn't just the right thing to do, it's essential for sustainable growth, she added.
The report further revealed that 54 per cent of women who are currently working are unhappy with pay, and 80 per cent save less than ₹2,000 per month.
Of those earning above ₹20,000 are 21 per cent less likely to drop out in the near term, and among the women employees who are currently out of the workforce, 42 per cent said better pay would motivate them to return to work, indicating that better pay supports retention, it stated.
The report also found that 57 per cent of the women respondents, who are currently working, face transport challenges and 11 per cent feel unsafe while commuting, especially during their night shifts.
Single migrant women in manufacturing and EMPI sectors rely on hostels (23 per cent) but they face limited safe commuting options, said the report.
One in five women who have left the workforce said they will return to work if the workplace was closer to home, indicating that improving mobility solutions holds significant potential to boost workforce participation, it said.
"It's not just a social imperative, but essential for building a productive, competitive economy. The staffing industry plays a significant role in providing pathways for women to join formal employment. We need to now develop robust, gender-intentional retention strategies that enable the grey and blue collared women workforce to grow," Quess Corp ED and CEO Guruprasad Srinivasan added.
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