Female workforce participation rate is a key indication of women's economic empowerment, as well as their agency at home and in the workplace. This paper highlights the complex nature of women’s labour force participation in Urban India with a focus on married women.

Reported as ‘Missing labour force in India’ the recent fluctuations in the labour participation are probably due to the short-term shifts in activities of women responding to favorable economic conditions.

Of the several factors behind the decline in women's work participation rates from Census period to Census period, a major factor seem to have been the decline of many traditional industries and services in which women were involved.