As the Indian economy moves away from its traditional dependence on agriculture toward manufacturing and services, the country's labour market is witnessing a gradual but important structural shift, a study by SBI Research based on the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 unit-level data showed.
According to the report, while agriculture remains the country’s single largest employer, its grip on the workforce has weakened steadily over the past few decades. The share of workers dependent on farming and allied activities has dropped from 66% in 1987-88 to 43% in 2023-24, reflecting the long-term transformation underway in the economy.
