Only one in 10 young women in Haryana was either employed or looking for work during January-March 2026, while nearly one in three young women in Punjab's labour force remained unemployed, The Times of India reported, citing the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).

The survey found that Haryana recorded one of the lowest labour force participation rates (LFPR) in the country among women aged 15-29 years, while Punjab posted the highest unemployment rate among young women willing to work.

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Himachal Pradesh, meanwhile, registered the highest female workforce participation among the three states.

The LFPR — the share of people either employed or actively seeking work — stood at 12.7% for young women in Haryana, significantly below the national average of 22.5%. The corresponding figures were 24.1% in Punjab and 33.5% in Himachal Pradesh.

The gender gap was especially striking in Haryana. While 56.9% of young men participated in the labour force, only 12.7% of women were either working or looking for work.

In Punjab, the male LFPR stood at 67.2% compared with 24.1% for women. Himachal Pradesh recorded participation rates of 62.5% for men and 33.5% for women.

The rural-urban divide varied across states. In Haryana, urban young women were more likely to participate in the labour market than rural women, with an LFPR of 16.2% compared with 9.9%.

Punjab recorded female participation rates of 25.2% in rural areas and 22.7% in urban centres, while Himachal Pradesh posted the highest rates among the three states at 34.2% in rural areas and 29.2% in urban areas.

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Punjab tops female unemployment

Punjab's problem is not getting young women into the workforce - it is finding jobs for them once they enter.

Nearly one-third of young women who were either employed or actively seeking work remained jobless during the January-March quarter, giving Punjab the highest female unemployment rate in the country at 30.4%. The crisis was particularly acute in rural areas, where almost four out of every 10 young women in the labour force were unemployed.

Haryana presented the opposite picture. Fewer women entered the labour market to begin with, but those who did were relatively more likely to find work, resulting in a lower unemployment rate of 13.4%.

Himachal Pradesh fell somewhere in between. The state recorded the highest female labour force participation among the three states, but job creation failed to keep pace. More than a quarter of young women in the labour force were unemployed, with the rate crossing 40% in urban areas.

Haryana's bigger challenge: Getting women into jobs

The employment data suggests Haryana's challenge begins even before unemployment is measured.

Only 11% of women aged 15-29 were actually employed, far below the national average of 18.5%. The corresponding figures were 16.8% in Punjab and 24.6% in Himachal Pradesh.

The survey also highlighted stark differences in employment across the three states. Agriculture remained the dominant source of work in Himachal Pradesh, accounting for half of all jobs.

In contrast, Punjab and Haryana relied more heavily on manufacturing, construction and services, reflecting their relatively diversified economies.
 

Published on: Jun 15, 2026 12:17 PM IST