Women's Employment Declines in Bangladesh Ahead of LDC Graduation

• Women’s employment in Bangladesh is declining
• Women's labor force decreased from 25.3 million (2023) to 23.7 million (2024)
• This fall raises concerns looking forward to LDC graduation in 2026

Today, the country is facing a situation where the number of women in employment is declining. This situation has raised a number of questions about the country’s readiness for its graduation as a least developed country by 2026.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey 2024, the number of women in the country’s labour force reduced from 25.3 million in 2023 to 23.7 million in 2024.

In a senior-level dialogue session held in Dhaka on 5th January 2026, a number of participants attended the dialogue session and discussed the reasons for the reduced number of women in the country’s labour force.

Employment patterns such as the transition of women workers in the agriculture sector to the informal economy and the impact of automation in the manufacturing sector, especially in the RMG sector, are resulting in the reduced number of women in the country’s labour force.

Female labor force participation in urban areas decreased from 25.1% in 2023 to 22.5% in 2024, and educated women are experiencing high levels of skill-drift, with unemployment rates for female graduates being almost six times the overall female average.

Overall, the vast majority (95.96 percent) of working women is engaged in the informal sector, where job security is scarce, and female labor is perceived by organized sector employers as an unsubstantial investment.

It is identified that enhancing labor force participation is both a social concern and an overarching economic need, which is essential to maintain the country’s GDP, export, and income.

There has been discussion about the vast exclusivity experienced by marginalized sections, such as women with disabilities, in the society, along with wrongful gender roles in the upbringing of children.