24-07-2025
Over 50% entry-level women in blue-grey jobs plan to quit within a year, 54% unhappy with pay, reveals study
At least 52% of women with less than one year of experience in India's blue-grey-collar workforce plan to quit within 12 months, a new survey has found.
The attrition rate, however, drops sharply to 3 per cent among those who stay in their jobs for more than two years, from 52% among those who have been employed for less than a year, the report said.
It added that 54 per cent of women who are currently working are unhappy with their pay, and 80% save less than ₹ 2,000/month.
The findings in the State of Women in the Blue-Grey Collar Workforce-2025, a data-driven report and policy brief offering actionable solutions to strengthen women's participation in one of India's fastest-growing employment segments by Udaiti Foundation, in partnership with Quess Corp Limited. 54 per cent of women who are currently working are unhappy with pay, and 80% save less than ₹ 2,000/month, it added,
The blue-grey collar workforce is an emerging term that blends elements of both blue-collar and grey-collar workers. The report cites multiple sources that suggest that India needs to add 7-10 million non-farm jobs a year to achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation or 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. A large share of these non-farm jobs are blue-collar roles, which form the backbone of India's economy, it says.
The findings were launched at an event held in New Delhi on Thursday. Vandana Gurnani, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Communication, and Rajkamal Vempati, Group Executive and Head of Human Resources, Axis Bank, attended the event
Despite women's overall share in blue-grey collar roles rising from 16 per cent in FY20-21 to 19 per cent in FY23-24, as per the PLFS Annual Report, the cohort faces high early attrition rates that threaten productivity, continuity, and India's ability to achieve its $30 trillion economy goal by 2047,' the report said.
'This report reveals a 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 are not leaving because they lack capability; they are leaving because we have not yet built the infrastructure and designed workplaces for their success,' Pooja Goyal, Founding CEO of The Udaiti Foundation, said.
The report identifies five key challenge areas from the survey that, if addressed, can significantly improve women's retention: higher incomes, safer and more reliable mobility, improved workplace infrastructure, clearer career growth pathways, and more inclusive, supportive work culture.
Income is a key challenge: 54% of women who are currently working are unhappy with pay, and 80% save less than ₹ 2,000/month.
● Those earning above ₹ 20,000 are 21% less likely to drop out in the near term— showing that better pay supports retention.
Mobility barriers: 57% of women respondents who are currently working face transport challenges; 11% feel unsafe while commuting, especially during night shifts.
● One in five women who have left the workforce said they will return to work if the workplace were closer to home.
● Workplace safety and infrastructure challenges: 22% of women feel unsafe at work, with this figure jumping to 33% where basic safety measures like CCTV and lighting are absent.
Career growth: 21% of women respondents cite lack of growth as a reason to leave their jobs; postgraduate women with more than a year's tenure are 3x more likely to exit if the growth pathway is unclear.
Limited workplace flexibility: 28% of women report difficult hours and demanding work environments. One-third of them cite lack of flexibility as the main issue.
●Additionally, many field-facing roles across sectors commonly lack formal grievance redressal systems, underscoring the need to build open and responsive channels to hear women employees out.
Infrastructure gaps fuel safety concerns: 22% of women feel unsafe at work — a number that spikes to 33% in locations lacking basic infrastructure (e.g., CCTV, lighting).
●This is especially stark in FMCG, education, IT/ITeS, and manufacturing.
Women are not leaving because they lack capability; they are leaving because we have not yet built the infrastructure and designed workplaces for their success.
