As more women from Tier-II and Tier-III cities in India enter the workforce, their median salary has risen by 34% over the past three years, according to a new report released on Thursday.
The report by job and professional networking platform Apna.co highlights that the number of women job seekers from smaller cities has quadrupled between 2021 and 2024.
Job applications from these regions have also tripled, reaching 12.8 million in 2024. This trend reflects a significant shift in employment patterns beyond major metro cities.
Several factors have driven this trend, including increased job opportunities, improved digital accessibility, and evolving employer hiring strategies. These developments have encouraged more women from non-metro areas to explore different career paths and join the workforce.
Sales, business development, administrative roles, and customer support have emerged as the most popular job sectors for women in smaller cities, accounting for 55% of total job applications. Additionally, many women are pursuing careers in marketing, banking, retail, human resources, hospitality, teaching, and healthcare.
A growing number of women are also entering unconventional roles, with nearly 600,000 applications in field sales, 250,000 in delivery and logistics, and 150,000 in security services in 2024.
Cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Indore, Bhopal, Surat, Nagpur, and Coimbatore have become major job hubs for women, contributing to 45% of total job applications. Other cities like Kanpur, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Chandigarh, Patna, Ludhiana, Vadodara, and Guwahati are also emerging as key employment centers.
A key trend is the rising participation of fresh graduates. Data from Apna.co shows that the number of freshers among women job seekers in Tier-II and III cities has increased 2.5 times, reaching nearly 900,000 in 2024. This indicates that more young women are actively seeking jobs immediately after completing their education.
Digital job platforms have been instrumental in connecting fresh graduates with employment opportunities, making it easier for them to enter the workforce.
(Inputs from IANS)
