Kannur: Kerala has the highest percentage of fixed salaried women in India, according to the latest economic review report.
More than half of the working women in the state earn a fixed salary. In contrast, the national average remains significantly lower.
In 2022-23, 18.6% of working women in India had salaried jobs, while in Kerala, it was 47.4%. The trend continued in 2023-24, with the national average at 18.5%, while Kerala saw an increase to 49.7%.
The percentage of female daily wage workers in Kerala is also relatively lower. In 2022-23, daily wage labourers accounted for 17.1% of female workers in India, whereas in Kerala, it was 16.7%. By 2023-24, the national figure dropped to 14.9%, while in Kerala, it remained at 16.4%.
The report notes that Kerala has a small proportion of women in low-paying daily wage jobs. However, the number of women employed in the organized sector has increased over the past decade. Over the last six years, women’s participation in both public and private sector jobs has consistently risen. Meanwhile, the job opportunities for women in the private sector have increased more rapidly than those in the public sector in 2023 and 2024.
Unlike most other states where a significant number of female workers are engaged in household enterprises, only 10.1% of Kerala’s women workforce belongs to this category. The report also points out that women in Kerala have better employment conditions compared to other parts of India.
