A sudden reversal after years of progress
Bangladesh’s labour force has shrunk by 1.7 million within a single year, falling to 71.7 million in 2024 from 73.4 million in 2023, according to the final Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey 2024. Male participation stayed almost flat at about 48 million. Female participation dropped sharply to 23.7 million from 25.3 million. The swing marks the first contraction in the labour force since 2010.
Between 2010 and 2023, the labour force expanded by more than 16 million, largely powered by women who moved into paid work in greater numbers. The number of women in the labour force rose from 17.2 million in 2010 to 25.3 million in 2023. Quarterly data already signalled a turn in late 2023. Female unemployment rose by around 120,000 in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier, employed women declined, and the population of women outside the labour force, including homemakers not seeking work, increased by about 1.42 million.
That reversal carries heavy consequences for growth, poverty reduction, and household resilience. A large share of Bangladesh’s export earnings and rural incomes has been linked to the work of women, from garment lines around Dhaka and Chattogram to farm and small trade activities in districts countrywide. A drop in women working or seeking work can pull down household income, depress demand, and slow social gains that depend on women having steady earnings.
What the data shows about who is leaving work
The contraction is concentrated among women, and it shows up most strongly in urban labour markets. Women with little or no formal education have seen employment opportunities shrink in manufacturing. Many factories are trimming roles that previously absorbed large numbers of women, while service sector jobs have not grown fast enough to compensate.
For women with university or technical education, the picture is different but still challenging. Many do not find jobs that match their skills or career expectations. Childcare remains scarce and costly in cities, and the lack of reliable, safe transport limits mobility. Social attitudes about appropriate work for women continue to weigh on decisions about whether to search for jobs or accept offers.
Bangladesh’s garment industry illustrates the shift. Female workers formed a clear majority when the sector took off, yet recent surveys suggest women now account for near half of the workforce. One study placed their share at about 53 percent in 2023, down from much higher levels a decade earlier. Mechanisation has replaced tasks once done on sewing lines, junior machine operator roles have narrowed, and some second generation workers show less interest in factory work. Mechanisation in agriculture and other industries is also reducing the demand for labour in low skill roles.
Education, care work and safety shape choices
Economists often describe a U shaped pattern in women’s participation as countries develop. At early and very high levels of income, many women work. In the middle, participation often dips. Rising school enrolment can temporarily pull women out of the labour market, and the structure of available jobs changes before new service jobs appear at scale.
Household responsibilities add an extra constraint. Women in Bangladesh spend far more hours than men on unpaid care, such as childcare and elder care. The scarcity of affordable childcare centres means many mothers cannot take jobs that require fixed hours. Even when family members help, employers sometimes hesitate to hire young women because they expect turnover after marriage or childbirth.
Safety and dignity at work and in transit matter. Reports of harassment on public transport or during commutes discourage many families from allowing daughters to take jobs far from home. Evidence from programs in South Asia indicates that safe, reliable commuting options and trusted childcare increase women’s willingness to accept jobs and stay in them. Information campaigns and credible job offers can also shift norms by showing families that women’s work brings stable income and future prospects.
Garments at a crossroads
The ready made garment sector remains a vital employer, yet it is in the middle of a technology upgrade. Automation is spreading across cutting, sewing assistance, and finishing. The transition reduces demand for repetitive roles and boosts demand for technicians, quality controllers, maintenance personnel, and digital production planners. Without rapid reskilling, women risk losing ground in the very sector that opened doors for millions.
Research on technology adoption in Bangladesh indicates that investments in modern machinery can reduce headcount. An industry study estimated that roughly two to four workers lost their jobs for each one million dollars spent on new equipment. Many of the displaced roles have historically been filled by women, such as machine operators and helpers, unless skilling programs help them move into higher value positions.
Trade pressures add to the urgency. As Bangladesh moves toward graduation from least developed country status, exports to some markets may face higher tariffs. Buyers continue to demand lower lead times and higher compliance. Factories likely respond with more automation and greater skill requirements. Training women for the technical roles that are growing would help maintain their presence in the sector and protect household incomes in industrial zones.
Rural enterprise and the quality of jobs
Outside cities, barriers in the rural non farm economy hold many women back. Access to capital is limited, market information is patchy, and selling beyond the local bazar is hard without networks. Women often join family farming or cottage industry activities when male relatives migrate to cities, then step back when men return. Much of this participation is unpaid or short term, so it does not build skills or assets.
Counting women in work is only one part of the challenge. The quality of jobs is equally important. Bangladesh is moving away from agriculture as its economy evolves, yet women are not gaining enough formal and skill based roles in manufacturing and modern services. The transformation would look healthier if more women were moving into small factories, logistics, healthcare, education, finance, retail management, and hospitality.
The international picture
International Labour Organization modelled data, published by the World Bank, puts Bangladesh’s female labour force participation near 44 percent in 2024. That rate is above some large peers in South Asia, such as India at near 33 percent, but it sits below many middle and high income economies where female participation often ranges between 50 and 70 percent.
Global measures of gender parity highlight that the widest gaps remain in economic participation and leadership. Bangladesh has made strong gains in girls’ schooling and health outcomes over the past two decades, yet narrowing the gap in paid work and quality jobs is proving harder. The 2024 global benchmark shows that progress is steady but slow, which makes domestic policy choices even more important.
What could turn the trend
Create more jobs in the modern service economy. Demand for health workers, teachers, early childhood educators, financial service staff, retail supervisors, hospitality professionals, and customer support roles is rising. Targeted investment and business climate reforms that help these sectors expand can produce jobs that women are ready to take.
Expand affordable childcare at scale. Community based centres in urban neighbourhoods and industrial parks allow mothers to work regular hours. Time bound tax credits, low cost loans, or matching grants can help employers set up childcare. Clear standards and public inspection will build trust.
Make commutes safe and reliable. Dedicated buses on busy industrial routes, better lighting at stops, ride hailing safety features, and fast complaint handling can reduce risks. City corporations can partner with large employers to run peak hour shuttles that operate on predictable schedules.
Equip women for the new tasks that automation creates. Offer industry linked training in machine maintenance, quality control, supply chain software, industrial engineering basics, and digital literacy. Training vouchers for women, apprenticeships with stipends, and work based learning programs help close the gap between training and a job offer. Bridging programs can open paths into pharmacy support, medical coding, accounting support, IT support, and basic programming.
Unlock women’s entrepreneurship. Expand collateral free credit with partial guarantees, make loan applications digital and simple, and strengthen mentoring for first time founders. Reserve a small share of public procurement for women led firms, and set up market access platforms that connect women’s businesses to large buyers. Mobile money and e commerce can cut travel and reduce safety risks for rural sellers.
Strengthen workplace policies that help women stay and advance. Enforce existing rules on childcare in factories and offices. Encourage return to work programs after childbirth. Promote flexible scheduling where tasks allow it. Support safe reporting channels for harassment. Encourage employers to publish pay and promotion statistics that track progress on gender balance in teams and management.
Risks if the slide continues
A sustained fall in women’s participation would hold back growth. Household incomes would be lower, poverty reduction would slow, and the country would capture less of the potential demographic dividend as young cohorts enter working age. The tax base would grow more slowly, limiting fiscal space for health, education, and infrastructure.
The social cost would be just as large. Fewer women in paid work weakens bargaining power at home, reduces resilience to shocks such as inflation or illness, and can undermine gains in girls’ schooling when families see fewer job prospects. Protecting and expanding women’s access to good jobs is a practical economic strategy, not only a matter of fairness.
Key Points
- The labour force fell to 71.7 million in 2024 from 73.4 million in 2023, the first contraction since 2010.
- Male participation stayed near 48 million, while the number of women in the labour force declined to 23.7 million from 25.3 million.
- Late 2023 survey data already showed higher female unemployment and a rise in women outside the labour force.
- Automation and mechanisation are reducing low skill roles in garments and other industries, where women have been concentrated.
- Educated women face limited job matching, scarce childcare, and mobility constraints in cities.
- Rural participation often involves unpaid or temporary work, and barriers in capital and markets limit women’s entrepreneurship.
- Bangladesh’s female participation rate is near 44 percent, above India but below many middle and high income economies.
- Policy priorities include childcare expansion, safe transport, industry linked skilling, growth in modern services, and support for women led firms.
