The Education–Employment Nexus: Inter-State Variations on Female Labour Force Participation in India (2017-2024)

Female labour force participation (FLFP) in India continues to reflect wide inter-state disparities, with some states recording consistently high engagement of women in the workforce while others lag far behind. Education emerges as a central determinant shaping these variations, not only by enhancing employability but also by influencing women’s agency and labour market aspirations. This paper investigates the education–employment nexus using Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data from 2017–2024, focusing on Himachal Pradesh (a high-FLFP state in North India), Haryana (a low-FLFP state from the same region), and all-India educational distribution trends. The analysis highlights how improvements in female literacy, secondary and higher education, and enrolment levels contribute differently across rural and urban contexts, and why these gains do not always translate into proportional labour market participation. Yet, persistent challenges—including occupational segregation, unequal returns to education, and socio-cultural barriers—continue to limit women’s participation despite rising enrolment. By linking educational reforms with labour market outcomes, the study underscores that improving female education is necessary but not sufficient; parallel structural changes in labour markets and social norms are required to unlock India’s demographic dividend and ensure inclusive growth.