Chronicling the Observed Gendered Effects in India’s Labor Markets During COVID-19

Women bore the disproportionate impact of the pandemic-induced labor market disruptions throughout all three major waves in India. High-frequency monthly data reveals that around 37.1% of women lost their jobs in March–April 2020, compared to only 27.7% of men, following the national lockdown. Accounting for 73% of all job losses, women suffered a higher proportion and a higher number of absolute job losses in April 2021. Finally, in April 2022, even as male employment crossed pre-pandemic levels, women’s employment continued to lag, being 2% lower than in April 2019. Chronicling women’s lived experiences through over 100 primary consultations undertaken between 2020 and 2022, this paper describes the socio-economic factors behind the observed gender gaps in income and job losses. The gendered digital divide, domestic work responsibilities, mobility restrictions, inadequate skill training, and lack of institutional support amidst hybrid work emerge as key issues restricting women’s economic participation. To mitigate these challenges, gender-sensitive interventions need to be mainstreamed across the public, private, and social sectors. By highlighting the depth of the difficulties faced by women throughout the pandemic, this chapter posits the need to keep women at the heart of India’s post-COVID-19 recovery strategy.