Reverse Structural Change in Female Workforce to Agriculture: Insights from Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Data

Abstract

Female labour force participation in India has been historically lower than that of males, with evidence of a long term decline. However, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data between 2017-18 and 2022-23 indicate a modest revival. Rural and urban FLFPR increased by 12.3 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, at all India level. This study examines labour market dynamics through a twofold approach. First, a comparative analysis of sectoral employment between Kerala and India is undertaken using secondary data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey for the period 2017-18 to 2022-23. The analysis highlights structural shifts across primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, situating Kerala’s employment trajectory within the national context. Second, a socio-economic assessment of women agricultural workers in Kerala is conducted, focusing on variables such as social group, education, and income levels. The study concluded that there is a reverse structural change in the female workforce to agriculture after 2019-20. It is probably distress-driven. In other words, it can be argued that there is an increasing female labor force participation during the period of COVID in the agriculture sector. But they are not returning to other sectors in the post-COVID period. They were continuing in the low-paid agriculture sector.