New Delhi, May 12 -- The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), a much-improved version from earlier ones, reveals how India's labour market is undergoing a structural transformation. Many defining features emerge from the latest annual report using the unit level data to estimate for the first time.

First, while agriculture remains India's largest employer, engaging nearly 43% of the country's workforce in 2025, its share in total employment has steadily declined from 66% in 1987-88, indicating a broad and long-term shift of workers towards non-agricultural activities.

Second, in 2025, 14.5% of India's workforce had access to substantial capital and scale economies through employment in firms with more than 20 workers. Encouraging...