Women in Mumbai Nearly Match Men’s Salaries in Regular Jobs, Yet Lag Far Behind in Casual Work: Report

Mumbai has one of the smallest gender pay gaps in regular salaried jobs among India's million-plus cities, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, conducted by the National Statistics Office. However, the survey also shows a sharp contrast in the informal sector, where women earn some of the lowest daily wages in the country, as reported by Indian Express. 

The report also finds that fewer women participate in Mumbai's labour market than the urban national average, despite the city offering some of the highest earnings in India. The survey provides labour market estimates for 46 Indian cities with populations of more than one million for the first time.

Salaried Jobs Show Strong Gender Pay Parity

This leaves a gender pay gap of only 2 per cent. Women earn 98.2 per cent of men's salaries, placing Mumbai eighth among India's million-plus cities for gender pay parity. Only Prayagraj, Srinagar, Lucknow, Patna, Meerut, Varanasi and Amritsar reported women earning more than men on average.

The survey reflects Mumbai's service-based economy. Around 71.7 per cent of working women in the city are employed in regular salaried jobs. This is much higher than the urban national average of 50.9 per cent. The survey also shows high earnings among self-employed women in Greater Mumbai. They earn an average monthly income of INR 32,664. This is much higher than the urban national average of INR 10,237 for self-employed women.

As far as casual labourers are concerned, Mumbai is among the weakest-performing cities. The survey also points to lower participation of women in Mumbai's labour market. The female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in Greater Mumbai stands at 26.9 per cent, lower than the urban national average of 27.7 per cent. 

The gap is also visible in the number of women who are not in employment, education or training. The survey shows that 68.3 per cent of women fall under this category, compared with only 5.8 per cent of men. Among women who are not working, 68.4 per cent said childcare and domestic responsibilities were the reasons. For men, the reasons were further education, health or old age.

People in Mumbai also work longer hours than the urban national average. Men work an average of 55.2 hours a week. Women work an average of 43.8 hours a week, while the urban national average is 39 hours.

The survey also shows major differences across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In Navi Mumbai, men in regular salaried jobs earn an average of INR 57,039 per month. Women earn INR 29,589, creating a gap of INR 27,450. In Thane, salaried men earn INR 29,108, while women earn INR 22,356.