Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI) Employment opportunities for women, particularly in contractual roles, are primarily concentrated in metropolitan and industrial hubs, and there is huge potential to expand such scope in tier II and III cities, a report said on Monday.

Contractual employment opportunities for women are currently concentrated in metropolitan and industrial hubs, with Maharashtra leading with 28.7 per cent, followed by Tamil Nadu (14.2 per cent) and Karnataka (14.1 per cent), staffing and workforce solutions provider TeamLease Services said in a report - 'No Women Left Behind 2.0'.

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States like Telangana (7.8 per cent), Gujarat (7.2 per cent), and Uttar Pradesh (6.6 per cent) also contribute significantly to contractual employment opportunities, especially for women, it added.

Even as urban centres drive employment, the report noted that there is huge potential to expand opportunities in tier II and III cities for broader workforce inclusion.

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The report is based on TeamLease Services' internal data of 38,000 associates scrutinising gender-based disparities and comprehensive insights.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that retail (29.8 per cent), IT (20.7 per cent), and financial services (18.9 per cent) lead in employing women in contractual roles.

However, sectors like manufacturing (10.8 per cent), power and energy (5 per cent), and telecom (4 per cent) see lower representation, underscoring the need for greater gender inclusion, it added.

Women's enrolment in higher education, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), is driving greater inclusion in high-skill industries like retail, IT, and financial services.

Meanwhile, the report also found that women's contractual workforce is predominantly young, with 62.2 per cent aged between 18 and 27 years and 29.4 per cent between 28 and 37 years of age.

Participation of women sharply declines in later stages, with 6.6 per cent in the 38-47 age group and only 1.9 per cent beyond 48 years, it said.

This trend highlights the strong presence of young professionals in contractual roles, while older age groups see reduced participation, reflecting the evolving nature of workforce engagement across different career stages, stated the report.

"Women's workforce participation in India shows a clear divide across metropolitan cities and smaller towns. This can be levelled out with good company policy, especially looking at the opportunities in tier II and III cities. Education levels also enhance this divide," TeamLease Services CEO - Staffing Kartik Narayan said.

"Those with minimal or high education are more actively engaged, while mid-level graduates follow distinct employment patterns. However, contractual employment has emerged as a key enabler, particularly for women aged 18 to 37, providing critical access to diverse industries, skilling opportunities, and financial stability."

As India aims to increase women workforce participation to 70 per cent, strengthening the contractual workforce ecosystem through targeted skilling programmes, career transition support, and industry initiatives will be essential, he said.

"By fostering structured career growth and reducing barriers, we can create a more inclusive and economically empowered workforce for women across all backgrounds," Narayan added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)