Bangalore: In a significant development shaping India’s job market, Apna.co, the country’s leading jobs and professional networking platform, has reported a 4X increase in women job seekers from Tier II and III cities between 2021 and 2024. Additionally, the platform observed a 3X rise in job applications from women in these regions, reaching 1.28 crore in 2024, reflecting a steady shift in women workforce participation beyond metro cities over the past three years. This rise is attributed to expanding job opportunities, increased digital accessibility, and evolving employer hiring patterns, enabling more women from non-metro regions to actively participate in diverse industries.
Sales & Business Development, Admin & Back Office, and Customer Support emerged as the top job departments for women job seekers in Tier II and III cities, accounting for 55% of total job applications. Additionally, women in these regions have shown a significant rise in interest in job departments such as Marketing, Banking, Retail, Human Resources, Hospitality, Teaching, and Healthcare, reflecting a diverse range of career preferences over the past three years. Women in Tier II and III cities are also exploring unconventional roles, with nearly 6 lakh applications in Field Sales, 2.5 lakh applications in Delivery & Logistics, and 1.5 lakh applications in Security Services on the platform in 2024.
As employment opportunities expand beyond metro cities, Lucknow, Jaipur, Indore, Bhopal, Surat, Nagpur, and Coimbatore have emerged as key employment hubs where women are actively securing jobs, accounting for over 45% of total job applications on the platform. Meanwhile, Kanpur, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Chandigarh, Patna, Ludhiana, Vadodara, and Guwahati are also rapidly evolving into high-growth talent centers, signaling a wider shift in workforce participation beyond metro cities. This transition marks a significant evolution in India’s employment dynamics, with non-metro regions closing the workforce gap at an accelerated pace. Expanding job opportunities, rising digital accessibility, and shifting hiring trends continue to empower women professionals, enabling them to explore diverse career paths and strengthen India’s evolving workforce.
Another key insight from Apna.co’s data is a 2.5X increase in the freshers among women job seekers in Tier II and III cities in the past three years, reaching nearly 9 Lakh in 2024 indicating a significant influx of new talent into the workforce. The growing participation of fresh graduates suggests that more young women in these regions are seeking employment opportunities immediately after completing their education, facilitated by platforms like Apna.co that bridge the gap between talent and employers. Additionally, the median salary of women job seekers in these regions has increased by 34% over the past three years, signaling improved wage growth and expanding career prospects beyond metro cities.
Nirmit Parikh, Founder and CEO of Apna.co, said, “India’s workforce is undergoing a transformation, with women from Tier II and III cities stepping into diverse careers across industries. Fueled by digital accessibility and evolving hiring trends, this surge is reshaping workforce dynamics. Women professionals from emerging cities are not just entering the job market but actively shaping it, with a 4X rise in job seekers and a 3X increase in job applications. Median salaries have also grown by 34% in three years, signaling better economic prospects. By 2030, exponential job market growth will further accelerate opportunities for women across various sectors. This shift presents a crucial moment for businesses to tap into a skilled and motivated talent pool. At Apna.co, we remain committed to bridging the talent-opportunity gap, ensuring that women professionals, regardless of location, have access to meaningful careers. With digital innovation and employer-driven initiatives, India is moving toward a more inclusive and dynamic workforce.”
The steady increase in women job seekers from Tier II and Tier III marks a major shift in India’s workforce, highlighting the growing emphasis on inclusivity and expanding career opportunities beyond urban centres.
About Apna.co:
Founded in 2019, Apna.co is India’s leading jobs and professional networking platform, dedicated to helping India’s rising workforce unlock unique professional networking and skilling opportunities. Spanning more than 40% of the country’s pin codes, Apna is on a mission to enable livelihoods for billions in India. With more than 59 million users across 900+ cities and trusted by more than 700,000 employers, Apna has become India’s go-to destination for job discovery, enabling employment across 200+ job categories.
