Dhaka, May 19 -- Bangladesh's agricultural sector has re-emerged as a major source of employment since 2017 as the manufacturing sector lost momentum and shed workers, according to a latest World Bank (WB) study.

Around seven out of every 10 new jobs created during the period were absorbed by the agriculture sector, while 4.2 million net new female jobs also came from agriculture.

The reversal was borne entirely by women, who lost ground in both industry and services between 2016 and 2024. During the period, women lost around 1.1 million jobs in industry and 0.8 million in services.

According to the study, the shift towards low-productivity agricultural employment has weakened labour income growth and slowed poverty reduction due to lo...