Nearly 8 in 10 women in India said they had avoided applying for jobs because of caregiving responsibilities, citing the continuing impact of unpaid care work on career choices, according to a report by Indeed. The report is based on responses from 1,141 women across India, including working mothers, women on a break from work, and those who have returned to work after a break. Participants were from major cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. Flexibility emerged as a key factor in shaping job choices. The report said that 53% of women prioritized flexible working hours when choosing a job, while 48% preferred hybrid or remote work options. It also found that compensation expectations are changing, with nearly 8 in 10 respondents saying they would either accept lower salaries (45 percent) or consider doing so (34 percent) in exchange for better flexibility and work-life balance.
For working mothers, hybrid and remote working remained particularly important. The report indicated that 37% of participants said that hybrid or remote work would be the most impactful change in the workplace for them. Overall, 59% of respondents felt that workplace flexibility had genuinely improved career opportunities for mothers in India, while another 30% said it had helped somewhat. The results also showed that expectations of returning to the office influence work decisions. More than 51 percent of respondents said they had turned down a job interview or job offer because of office attendance requirements.Full-time office duties were cited by 37 percent of respondents as the biggest barrier, followed by a lack of flexibility in roles at 34 percent.
