Job creation falls, so does youth participation

• Despite a 52% decrease in demand compared to the previous year, e-commerce retained its position as the second-largest employer.
• Women's average monthly salaries were 20.5% lower than the industry average, except in manufacturing, logistics and mobility
• Youth participation in employment declined by 8%, indicating a decrease in the number of young individuals entering the workforce.

In the financial year 2022, i.e. the period between April 01, 2021, to March 31, 2022, there was a significant surge in demand for frontline workers as the economy reopened. However, the growth momentum slowed down in the financial year gone by (FY2023) due to macroeconomic challenges. According to the Frontline Index Report by BetterPlace, the total demand for frontline jobs decreased by 17.5%. In FY 2023, India saw the creation of 6.6 million frontline jobs, down from the 8 million jobs created in fiscal before that.

This report is based on data collected by the BetterPlace platform and analysed a sample of over 3 million data points, providing insights into various aspects of the frontline workforce in India, including hiring, demand, attrition, migration, salary trends, and upskilling patterns.

E-commerce remains second largest employer

In FY 2023, logistics and mobility took the lead as the primary employment sector for frontline workers, surpassing e-commerce in demand. This marked a significant shift, with logistics and mobility experiencing a 111% surge in total demand from FY 2022 to FY 2023. Meanwhile, IFM&IT (information, financial services, marketing, and information technology) emerged as the fastest-growing industry, with a 139% increase in demand for frontline roles during the same period.

Despite a 52% decrease in demand compared to the previous year, e-commerce retained its position as the second-largest employer, accounting for 33% of all jobs in the sector.

Participation of women doubles

The participation of women in the workforce increased from 3% to 6% between FY22 and FY23, driven largely by changing family perceptions, with 88% of women feeling supported to work. However, women's average monthly salaries were 20.5% lower than the industry average, except in manufacturing and logistics and mobility, where they earned 36% and 20% more, respectively.

Despite declining industry demand, e-commerce saw a 36% increase in demand for women frontline workers. Additionally, women frontline workers spanned various age groups, with 44% aged 20-30 and 37% aged 30-40.

Youth participation in employment decreases

Over the transition from FY22 to FY23, there was a shift in the composition of the workforce. Youth participation in employment declined by 8%, indicating a decrease in the number of young individuals entering the workforce during this period.

Conversely, there was a 25% increase in the participation of workers aged 30-40. Furthermore, it's worth noting that a majority, specifically more than 80%, of frontline workers exhibit a satisfactory level of education. Many of them have completed either their high school diploma or even pursued higher education, such as graduating from college or university.

Employees focus on upskilling

In FY 2022, sign-ups for upskilling courses saw a 194% growth, which continued into FY 2023. The lower intent to hire in enterprises led to a an increase in the time employees spent on learning, up by more than 165% between April 2022 and March 2023.


Furthermore, the Government's commitment to skill development during the budget season resulted in numerous enterprises investing in employee upskilling.