Gender and jobs: Evidence from urban labour market in India

Abstract

This paper examines the trend, pattern, structure and qualitative aspects of jobs available to women workers in Urban Areas in the post-reform period. Apart from this, the paper also analyses the determinant of female work participation and their sectoral and occupational choice of work. The study finds that over a period of time female work participation has declined in urban areas despite having a wide spectrum of job opportunities. The magnitude of decline is much sharper in the case of illiterate women, women from lower castes and poorest economic classes. Considering the structure of employment, it is observed that the female employment in regular salaried jobs has increased but in the other two categories it has declined. However, within regular salaried jobs, females are highly concentrated in few low-productivity sectors and stereotypical feminine occupations. Further, a very sharp inequality by class is noticed among regular salaried women workers. The paper finds that women from the poorest classes are highly concentrated in the informal sector with no job contract, no social security and extremely poor working condition as compared to workers from the richest class. The paper argues for an urgent policy intervention to ensure access to productive and decent jobs and to provide protection to these vulnerably placed women workers.