A more significant proportion of female workers in urban India are employed in manufacturing (23.9 percent) and other services (40.1 percent) compared to their male counterparts, according to the latest “Women and Men in India, 2023” report.

In contrast, the report by the statistics and program implementation ministry released on Monday shows that a major proportion of urban male workers are engaged in sectors such as construction industry (12.6 percent), trade, hotels and restaurants (26.5 percent), and transport, storage and communications (13.2 percent).

“Surprisingly, a greater proportion of urban women are engaged in manufacturing than urban males,” the report said without explaining.

In rural India, females continue to dominate the agriculture sector, with 76.2 percent of rural female workers engaged in the sector compared to 49.1 percent of rural male workers. The report relied on the annual Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) for the data.

Despite progress, the report highlighted, females still need to overcome numerous barriers when entering the labor market and seeking access to quality employment. “The substantial disparity between male and female representation in the workforce can be mitigated through strategic measures, such as the implementation of improved incentive mechanisms, targeted training programs, job reservations, and the establishment of safe workplace environments,” it added.