Exploring Reasons for Low Female Labour Force Participation in Regular Salaried Jobs: Evidence from Young Lives Longitudinal Study in India

Gender inequality in employment remains high in India with women’s work participation rate at 22% compared to 54% for males. Drawing upon evidence from Young Lives panel data, this article explores factors affecting labour force participation and gender inequity, especially with reference to regular salaried jobs amongst young adults at age 22. Logistic regression analysis reveals that young women are 59% less likely to be in regular salaried jobs compared to their male counterparts with Fairlie decomposition analysis revealing that marital status alone contributes more than 98% of the gender gap in regular salaried employment. Vocational education, job-related training, early reading skills at age 8, frequent use of computer and high GRIT scores are other positive significant factors associated with regular salaried jobs. This article concludes with policy recommendations for promoting young women’s well-being, as well as their income-generation opportunities and participation in the formal labour market.