Job opportunities for women surge 48% in 2025, but salary disparity persists

Job opportunities for women surged by 48 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year but the salary bracket shrunk, according to foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME).

The data underscored that industries such as IT, BFSI, Manufacturing, and Healthcare were the major contributors to this growth, alongside rising demand for specialised talent in emerging technology roles.

As per the foundit insights, nearly 25 percent of jobs for women in 2025 are for freshers, indicating a strong demand for early-career professionals, particularly in IT, HR, and Marketing.

IT/Computer software remained the top sector with 36 percent job share for women, followed by the recruitment industry at 34 percent, BFSI at 23 percent, advertising/PR/events at 8 percent, and engineering and production at 6 percent, respectively.

However, women's share of jobs between salary brackets less than Rs 10 lakh remained at 81 percent. Only 8 percent of working women's salary ranged above Rs 25 lakh.

Among the major cities, 41 percent of women's jobs are located in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities such as Nashik, Surat, Coimbatore, and Jaipur, compared to 59 percent in Tier-1 cities, the data added.

"We have also observed a 55 percent increase in work-from-office arrangements, signaling a shift in employer priorities. While challenges persist in areas like salary parity and evolving work-mode preferences, the overall outlook for women’s workforce participation in 2025 remains highly encouraging," Anupama Bhimrajka, VP-Marketing, foundit said.