Quess adds 1.33 lakh new formal jobs, 23% includes women: Pulse report

While 80% of India’s 570 million workers are still in the informal economy, formalisation is steadily gaining momentum, finds a new report by staffing and workforce solutions provier Quess Corp.

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization recorded 139.78 lakh net new subscribers in FY25, its highest ever. This figure is over double the 61 lakh enrolments seen in FY19.

Quess contributed 1.33 lakh new Universal Account Numbers during the year. This represents approximately 1% of all national additions. These efforts extended statutory benefits to thousands of first-time workers. Quess employs around 455,000 people as of March 2025.

According to the Pulse Report FY25 today that tracks India’s shift from informal to formal jobs and highlights Quess’ s role in expanding social security coverage, inclusion and skill-led employment across sectors and geographies, 61% of all new EPFO subscribers in FY25 was under 29 years of age, with nearly half between 18 and 25.

Formal jobs are increasingly becoming the first career step for young Indians, helping build long-term productivity and career pathways.

"India’s female labour force participation has also risen to 41.7% in FY25, with women accounting for a quarter of new EPFO subscribers during the year. At Quess, of the 1.33 lakh new UANs generated, 30,000 (22.5%) were for women, particularly in graduate and postgraduate roles," said Lohit Bhatia, president – workforce management, Quess Corp,

"The IT and ITeS sector recorded the strongest participation, with women forming 31% of Quess’s workforce. Among states, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, the North-Eastern states, and Goa emerged as top performers, with women representing close to 30% of the workforce in these regions," Bhatia added.

In FY25, Quess placed the highest number of employees in retail, employing 1.03 lakh associates. Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) followed with 31,000 UANs through roles in credit sales, digital banking, and customer support. Engineering, manufacturing, process, and infrastructure (EMPI) contributed 28,000 UANs. Telecom, with 9,000 new UANs, emerged as the fastest-growing vertical at Quess adding 22,860 employees in just one year.

In terms of wage, BFSI offered the highest average salary packages at ₹28,500 per month. This is followed by retail at ₹23,000 per month. Telecom, with an average pay of ₹15,400, showed strong growth driven by infrastructure-linked hiring. It should be noted that these job roles are primarily entry-level positions that pay at or above minimum wage.

States such as Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Assam have demonstrated strong workforce stability, with nearly 50% of employees having a tenure of 6–24months. Sector-wise, FMCG and telecom roles are witnessing tenures of 6–12 months, while hospitality and public enterprises report longer retention, averaging over two years.

In retail, however, 27% of employees exited within the first three months, indicating continued churn. In contrast, IT and ITeS roles showed greater stability, with only 10% leaving within three months and 18%
staying for more than three years.

“As the Pulse report highlights, India’s workforce is evolving rapidly, but sustaining this growth requires deeper investments in skilling, employment policies and inclusivity. Policy interventions such as the reduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on staffing services from 18% to 5%, encouraging foreign direct investment in manufacturing and overseas employment will largely expand opportunities. To increase women's participation in the workforce, there must be greater focus on social infrastructure, such as safe accommodation and reliable transportation facilities addressing mobility and safety concerns," Bhatia added.