Indian Worker Satisfaction Tops Regional Average

An annual workplace satisfaction survey conducted by Gallup shows that amid economic uncertainty and global crises, half of the world's employees and workers are observing new job openings or are actively looking for a new place of work. Additionally, only one out of four workforce members is actively engaged with their current job. While average numbers for South Asia are similar to global averages, India stands out in one positive aspect in particular.

According to Gallup data, 32 percent of surveyed workers in the world's most populous country claim to be engaged with their work, six percentage points above the regional average and nine percent higher than the global average. India is also the country with the lowest share of survey participants experiencing daily stress (32 percent). In comparison, it does lead the region in the share of respondents feeling angry every day (32 percent). Indians also feel positive about the job market in their home country, although less so than in the previous survey period.

While India's job market is experiencing considerable growth in some sectors, regular jobs are in less demand. As Aditi Maheshwari writing for The Times of India puts it, many new job opportunities in India stem from "informal work and self-employment, with stagnant growth in regular salaried positions". Overall unemployment stood at 5.4 percent and youth unemployment at ten percent in June 2023, according to official government data, while private think tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy estimated the share of unemployed Indians aged 15 and up at seven percent for May 2024.