Women's Income Soars, But Gender Pay Gap Persists in India

• Women's income grew faster than men's across most employment categories in 2025, according to PLFS data.
• Salaried jobs saw women's income rise by 7.2% (men 5.8%), self-employment by 8.8% (men 8%), and casual labor by 5.4% (men -0.2%).
• Despite growth, a significant gender pay gap remains: women earn 76% of men's salaries in salaried jobs, 69% in casual labor, and only 36% in self-employment.
• Women are shifting towards better quality jobs, with their share in salaried employment increasing from 16.6% to 18.2%.
• Informal sector shows a slowdown with reduced new enterprises and employment opportunities, a concern for women workers.